𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Labour’s plan to move migrants from hotels and into army barracks was stalled due to planning permission delays. The Home Office had intended to move approximately 540 men to the Crowborough army training camp in East Sussex and another 300 to Cameron Barracks in Inverness by the start of December, in an effort to reduce reliance on hotels. 

However, both sites had needed extensive refurbishment works, and Home Office officials confirmed to The Times that neither site was ready due to delays in obtaining planning permission. An official told the outlet that no opening date has been set, but that it was working with the Ministry of Defence to open the barracks as “quickly as possible”.

The Haslar detention centre in Gosport, Hampshire, part of Labour’s plan to significantly increase the number of illegal migrants and foreign criminals deported from the UK, has also been delayed until 2027, four years later than planned.

It has been closed since 2017 due to major refurbishment works, and was meant to accommodate up to 600 beds. 

The UK Government had originally planned to relocate asylum seekers into army barracks in Inverness and Sussex by early December, but delays were confirmed at the end of November.

In East Sussex, hundreds of protesters had opposed the plans since they were revealed, and Wealden District Council had passed a motion formally opposing the Crowborough proposal. The local authority stated that it had served a planning contravention notice on the Government.

Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney said the plans to house 300 male asylum seekers at Cameron Barracks in Inverness were “made up on the back of an envelope”.

He welcomed the news that the Home Office has delayed proposals to place the men there, adding the decision was “an acknowledgement that the plans were not well formulated”.

At the time, the Home Office had stated that it wanted to avoid rushing, which could lead to “unsafe and chaotic situations”. They said they would “accelerate” plans to move people into Cameron Barracks when it is “fully operational and safe”.

“Moving to large military sites is an important part of our reforms to tackle illegal migration and the pull factors that make the UK an attractive destination,” a spokesperson added. “We will continue to work closely with local representatives and authorities throughout this transition.”

Widespread protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers erupted across the UK this summer. A focal point was at the Bell Hotel in Essex, where the sexual assault on a young girl by asylum seeker, Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, triggered widespread demonstrations.