The first batch of asylum seekers have been housed at a former military site in East Sussex, the Home Office has confirmed. On Thursday, 27 people seeking asylum were settled into the Crowborough training camp.
Crowborough Camp Set to House Over 500
The government plans to expand the Crowborough site to accommodate more than 500 asylum seekers. This move forms part of a mission to end the costly use of hotels for asylum accommodation.
Local Backlash and Community Calls
Despite plans to use the site being announced last year, they were initially put on hold amid protests. Wealden District Council leader James Partridge branded the decision “wrong” but urged the community to “make the best of it.”
“We do need to make the best of it,” said Partridge. “And I call on the local community to come together, like we did when Afghan families and Ukrainian refugees arrived.”
Home Secretary Vows to Close All Asylum Hotels
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood declared Crowborough was “just the start.” She promised to push ahead with more sites until every asylum hotel is closed and returned to local communities.
“I will bring forward site after site until every asylum hotel is closed and returned to local communities,” Mahmood said.
