Crowborough Army Camp Transformed into Asylum Accommodation with Dedicated Medical Services
The Home Office has confirmed that twenty-seven individuals described as 'illegal migrants' have been relocated to Crowborough Army Camp in East Sussex, with the first arrivals escorted by police at 3.30am yesterday. This former military facility is now operational as a processing centre, expected to accommodate over five hundred adult male asylum seekers in the coming weeks.
On-Site GP Service Established to Alleviate Local Pressure
In a significant development, the Home Office has announced that all residents at the camp will be registered with a general practitioner based directly within the barracks. This measure is designed specifically to minimise the impact on existing local NHS services, which have been under considerable strain. Officials have clarified that asylum seekers will only be referred to off-site medical facilities if they require specialised treatment beyond the scope of the on-site provision.
This arrangement, however, has sparked controversy among local residents, many of whom report ongoing difficulties securing timely appointments with their own GPs. The establishment of a dedicated medical service for new arrivals has been met with frustration in a community already grappling with access to healthcare.
Community Anxiety and Planned Protests Escalate
Photographs from last night show protesters gathering on Crowborough's High Street, displaying England flags and Union Jacks. Local police forces are now preparing for an influx of hundreds of anti-migrant demonstrators expected to descend upon the town this weekend. The atmosphere remains tense following the covert arrival of the first asylum seekers, which residents have described as being conducted 'under the cover of darkness'.
Andrew Wilson, the councillor representing Crowborough East, has raised alarming concerns about the long-term implications. He estimates that, with each individual staying at the site for between seventy and ninety days, nearly 2,800 unknown persons could pass through the town within a single year. "With each individual whose background is not known," Mr Wilson stated, "that increases the risk to local residents."
School Safety Fears Prompt Parental Action
A new and troubling development has emerged regarding local education. Councillor Wilson has revealed that some parents are withdrawing their children from school due to a shared bus stop used by pupils and located directly outside the barracks. "People will potentially have to make changes to the way they do things," he explained during an interview with Talk TV. "Mothers are perhaps going to be driving their children to school. I've heard of several people who are withdrawing their children from school."
Resident Karen Creed, aged 62, voiced a common concern among locals: "My main concern is the fact that it's all men. It's not families. We don't know the background of any of them. I want to feel free to walk about in the town in which I live. It feels like the Government is playing with my freedom." She added that the community feels "totally hoodwinked" by the early morning arrivals.
Political Condemnation and Legal Challenges Mount
The opening of the centre has ignited fierce political debate. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp condemned the move, labelling it "another day of shame" for the Labour government. He highlighted a history of crimes committed by individuals in asylum accommodation and argued that the Rwanda scheme, halted by Labour, would have prevented this situation. "Illegal immigrants are costing £4billion a year to house," he said, "and they pose a threat to local communities up and down the country."
Local MP Nusrat Ghani has accused the Home Office of a "shameful lack of transparency" in its handling of the matter. Meanwhile, campaign group Crowborough Shield, chaired by Kim Bailey, is actively considering legal action and seeking an injunction. Mrs Bailey criticised the "information vacuum" created by authorities, which she says has generated "a lot of fear" in this town of 23,000 people.
"Of course parents are going to worry," Mrs Bailey remarked. "Every day you are seeing reports of a different crime. This community is not unwelcoming... but this is not right: 540 men with nothing to do, on the edge of a town." She asserted that the Home Office and the Home Secretary "do not give a damn about the impact on this community."
Government Strategy and Future Expansion Plans
The Crowborough site represents the first large-scale asylum accommodation centre opened under the current Labour administration, forming a key part of its pledge to shut down all asylum hotels by 2029. Official statistics reveal that the number of asylum seekers housed in hotels actually increased by thirteen percent to 36,273 by the end of September.
Home Secretary Ms Mahmood has declared that "Crowborough is just the start," vowing to "bring forward site after site until every asylum hotel is closed and returned to local communities." She emphasised her commitment to restoring "order and control to our borders," stating that "illegal migration has been placing immense pressure on communities" and that the government is "removing the incentives that draw illegal migrants to Britain."
The Home Office has released the first internal images from the barracks, showcasing basic dormitory-style accommodation. As the situation develops, the community of Crowborough braces for a weekend of significant protest and ongoing uncertainty regarding the long-term presence of the asylum centre.
