Kemi Badenoch has suggested setting up “camps” to house asylum seekers instead of placing them in hotels while their claims are processed. The Conservative leader made the comments during a visit to Epping, Essex, where she met anti-migrant protesters amid ongoing tensions over a local migrant hotel.
Badenoch warned that some communities “don’t feel safe” and called for a shift in approach, stating that outdated rules must be replaced. “We cannot use rules from 1995, or 2005, or even 2015 for 2025,” she said, noting the rapid changes in migration patterns. She asked whether the UK could “set up camps and police that, rather than bringing all of this hassle into communities.”
The proposal echoes arrangements seen in France, where migrants have lived in camps like the Calais Jungle, cleared in 2016. Badenoch’s visit comes as Home Office figures show a record 49,797 small boat arrivals since Labour took office last year. She also criticised the government’s record on deportations, referencing Labour’s earlier opposition to removals and the early release of prisoners.
Labour has announced plans to expand a “deport now, appeal later” scheme to 23 countries, but Badenoch expressed scepticism, recalling that Starmer had previously opposed deportations. She accused the government of releasing 26,000 prisoners early, adding to public safety concerns.
