𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Residents of a North Yorkshire village have voiced concern after proposals emerged to house up to 1,200 asylum seekers at the former RAF Linton-on-Ouse base as part of Government plans to reduce the use of asylum hotels. The former military site, where flying operations ended in 2019, is one of three ex-defence locations identified for potential accommodation. The Government says the move forms part of its strategy to close asylum hotels and provide alternative housing.

The proposal has reignited a debate that first surfaced in 2022, when plans to use the site for asylum accommodation were dropped following strong local opposition.

Many residents say they were surprised by the latest announcement and remain concerned about the suitability of the location, pointing to the village’s size and limited local services.

Jackie Holder, 77, told The Sun: “I think it is going to go through this time. That is my gut feeling.

“They managed to stop it last time. It will be the same again with the protests in the village. I hope I am wrong.”

Della Blood, 62, described the proposal as “absolutely ridiculous”, adding: “I think it is utterly, utterly bonkers.”

Helen Jones, who has lived in the village for two decades, said: “We have got one shop. The bus only goes to York. So, it is a bit of a worry. We [never] knew anything about it until the time it was announced, which is awful really.”

Campaigners have also questioned the level of consultation before the announcement, with Prof Olga Matthias calling for a long-term approach to asylum policy.

She said: “What is needed is not knee-jerk comments but a policy with some substance behind it.

“The Government needs a clearly thought-through long-term policy – preferably with cross-party support.”

The proposals have also drawn criticism from Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who said she believes the site is unsuitable because of its rural location and limited infrastructure.

Speaking during a visit to North Yorkshire, she said: “It is a very small village… There’s no infrastructure to support it.”

She added: “There are better sites, there are more suitable sites… There is so much trust in our system. And I think we need to bring back some common sense and just stop pretending it’ll be fine.”

North Yorkshire Council has also expressed reservations about the proposal.

Council leader Carl Les said the authority supports providing “safe and secure accommodation” for asylum seekers but believes Linton-on-Ouse is not an appropriate location for a development of this scale. He added that the council learned of the proposal through a media announcement before being formally informed.

The Home Office says no final decision has been made, with a planning application expected before ministers decide whether the site should be brought into use.

Border Security and Asylum Minister Alex Norris said: “We promised to close every asylum hotel and hand them back to communities, and that is exactly what we are doing.

“Instead, we’re moving asylum seekers into ex-military sites that are a far cry from the hotels the last Government left us with.

“This is a system being brought back under control – and we will not stop until the job is done.”