UK Confirms 3 Ex-Military Asylum Sites as 1,000-Place Oxfordshire Plan Sparks Protests
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 12
UK Confirms 3 Ex-Military Asylum Sites as 1,000-Place Oxfordshire Plan Sparks Protests
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 12
Summary
Home Office minister Anna Turley said the government will press ahead with housing asylum seekers on former military sites, including a proposed centre near Piddington for more than 1,000 people.
Turley said the shift is meant to end hotel use, arguing disused defence sites are more secure, have on-site facilities and are more contained, which she said limits the impact on local communities.
Piddington, a village of about 400 residents, has protested the plan and launched a symbolic independence referendum, with local leaders saying there has been no formal Home Office consultation.
The policy already includes 2 operating sites — RAF Wethersfield in Essex and Crowborough Training Camp in East Sussex — with 3 more proposed, including Barnham in Suffolk and RAF Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire.
Ministers said 13 more asylum hotels across England have closed, underscoring a broader strategy to replace hotel accommodation with military, industrial and student housing sites.