Charities condemn ‘arrogant’ plans to house asylum seekers at former military sites

Home Office plans to use three more former military sites to house thousands of asylum seekers have been condemned as “arrogant”, “costly” and “a political fix” by refugee charities and local stakeholders. Planning permission is being sought to build “basic” accommodation at MOD Bicester in Oxfordshire, RAF Barnham in Suffolk and RAF Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire, a statement said. These new sites could house 3,750 claimants, the government has claimed. Ministers hope to extend the use of other ex-military sites already housing claimants, including Crowborough in East Sussex until 2030 and Wethersfield in Essex beyond 2027, a statement said. Capacity at Wethersfield is to be increased by 400 to 1,200 men, the Home Office said. The move has been condemned for costing more than placing claimants in hotels and repeating the mistakes of the last government, which faced legal challenges over the use of barracks to house asylum seekers. Imran Hussain, director of external affairs at the Refugee Council, said: “As the government’s own spending watchdog has said, barracks actually cost more money overall than hotels. We know from experience they also isolate people from local communities and essential services, as they are often miles away from the nearest towns, so people who have fled war and persecution cannot find any security or stability while they apply for asylum,” he said. …