Security is being dramatically increased at an East Sussex army base slated to house 600 male asylum seekers, as furious locals were informed they would receive only 48 hours' notice before the men are moved in.
Local Outcry and Heightened Security
The community surrounding Crowborough Army Training Camp is in open revolt, with thousands of residents participating in weekly, noisy protests against the Home Office plan. Tensions escalated this week as guards with patrol dogs were seen inside the perimeter, where a secondary security fence has been erected around residential huts.
Kim Bailey, chair of the opposition group Crowborough Shield, met with Alex Norris, the Minister of State for Border Security and Asylum, on Wednesday. Recalling the conversation, she revealed that their request for seven to fourteen days' notice was flatly refused.
'We pushed him for seven to 14 days' notice. And he refused and said, more like 48 hours,' Ms Bailey stated. 'When they start, we won't know. They'll just be shifting in the cover of darkness.'
Locals claim they were given no prior warning about the plan to move the men in by January, discovering the proposal only after it was leaked to a newspaper.
Legal Challenges and Community Concerns
Campaigners remain hopeful they can halt the plan and are actively raising funds for a legal challenge. 'The legal team are very good and they're looking at every angle,' Ms Bailey confirmed.
She highlighted that Wealden District Council must be assured by the Home Office that the site is safe, legal, and compliant, asserting that the Home Office currently cannot provide such evidence.
The community's anxieties extend beyond the immediate arrival of the asylum seekers. Residents are deeply concerned about the increased pressure on already stretched public services and the potential impact on local house prices.
In response to health and safety concerns, the Home Office stated it is obliged to ensure all systems at the site are safe and legal. They confirmed that while most primary healthcare will be delivered on-site, the asylum seekers will be registered with local GP practices.
Protests and Historical Context
The security presence has become a tangible feature of the site, with Ms Bailey recounting being challenged by a guard and dog handler while she was walking outside the fence over the weekend. The full security team is expected to be operational within the next week.
Protest organisers are appealing for 600 male volunteers to march through the town in numbered t-shirts during the third weekend of demonstrations this Sunday. In response, Sussex Police have increased patrols to reassure the public.
This is not the first time the camp has been used for such a purpose. The barracks were previously used to accommodate Afghan families evacuated during the withdrawal from Kabul in 2021 before they were resettled elsewhere. The site has a proud history, having been used by Canadian forces preparing for the D-Day landings.
The controversy in Crowborough is not isolated. A similar plan to house over 300 male asylum seekers at Cameron Barracks in Inverness has also sparked a significant backlash, with hundreds protesting in the Highland city last Saturday.
