A petition calling on the Government to abandon plans to use Ministry of Defence (MoD) sites for asylum seeker accommodation without full consultation with local communities has surpassed 20,000 signatures. The online document, created by Clare Brown in August, had gathered 24,090 signatures at the time of writing.
The petition states: "Calling on the new Prime Minister and his Government to immediately withdraw plans to use MoD sites for asylum seeker accommodation without full, open and transparent consultation with the local communities and local representatives whose lives will be impacted most."
Local Resistance and Government Response
The petition comes amid protests in several areas. The Oxfordshire village of Piddington voted to leave Britain in protest over plans to house 1,250 male migrants nearby. There has also been resistance to housing asylum seekers in Wethersfield, Essex, and Crowborough, Sussex.
Because the petition received more than 10,000 signatures, the Government issued a response. The Home Office said: "Large sites play an important role in ending asylum hotel use, reducing impact on communities, and will continue to be progressed in consultation with local authorities and statutory partners."
Home Office Position on Accommodation
The Home Office added: "On 29 June, the Home Office announced plans to extend Crowborough, expand capacity and use at Wethersfield, and progress three further MOD sites for asylum accommodation. We agree with the public that all asylum hotels need to close."
However, the Home Office stated it must ensure it has "enough secure, safe and sustainable accommodation" to meet its obligations in a fair and equitable manner, describing the process as complex and needing to be delivered in a controlled, managed and orderly way.
Engagement and Future Plans
The Home Office said it wants to go "further and faster" by expanding the use of large and medium sites, including former military sites, as alternatives to hotels. It noted that accommodation on former military sites is designed to be largely self-sufficient, with essential services provided on site to minimise impacts on the local community and offer better long-term value for money.
"No final decision will be taken regarding the new or existing sites until all necessary arrangements, assessments and approvals are in place and all factors have been properly considered," the Home Office said. It added that it is already engaging with local authorities, police, health partners and other stakeholders in areas with proposed sites to understand local concerns and ensure sites operate safely and respectfully.
"It is imperative that we fix this system. Only by restoring order and control to our borders can we be the open, tolerant and generous country that we know ourselves to be," the Home Office concluded.
