Serious safety concerns have been raised for British Army families after it was revealed that hundreds of adult male migrants will be housed next door to them at a military barracks in Scotland.
Shadow Minister Sounds Alarm Over Inverness Barracks Plan
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp has written to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood demanding answers over the Home Office's decision to use Cameron Barracks in Inverness. The move comes in the wake of a series of horrific sex attacks committed by asylum seekers across Britain in recent months.
Service personnel currently living beside the base are scheduled for overseas deployment early next year. This will leave their families – predominantly women and children – living adjacent to 300 adult male migrants due to be accommodated there at taxpayer expense.
A Pattern of Community Concerns and Recent Crimes
The families in Inverness, who have voiced their worries to local councillors, represent the latest in a string of communities nationwide to express grave reservations about large-scale migrant housing schemes established near their homes.
In his letter, seen by the Daily Mail, Mr Philp highlighted a disturbing catalogue of recent offences. 'We have seen cases in the news of illegal immigrants housed in hotels or 'houses of multiple occupation' committing abhorrent acts, including rape and other sexual offences,' he stated.
He cited specific examples, including:
- Sadeq Nikzad, an Afghan asylum seeker, who was jailed for nine years for raping a 15-year-old girl in Falkirk.
- Three asylum seekers appearing in court over a gang rape on Brighton Beach.
- A failed Somali asylum seeker remanded for sexual assault in Bournemouth.
- Two Afghan small boat migrants, Jan Jahanzeb and Israr Niazal, both 17, convicted of raping a 15-year-old girl in Leamington Spa.
Other cases referenced include Hadush Kebatu, an Ethiopian who arrived illegally by small boat and was housed in a hotel in Epping, Essex, before sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman. Additionally, Fawaz Alsamaou, a Syrian refugee, was jailed for strangling and groping a woman in Cardiff, and Dan Tesfalul, an Eritrean small boat migrant, was imprisoned for raping a woman in Norwich.
Local Outcry and Demands for Safeguarding
'I urge you to think again about placing unvetted male illegal immigrants close to women and children,' Mr Philp implored the Home Secretary. He emphasised that soldiers are about to be deployed, 'leaving military wives and their children living on their own in proximity to young male illegal immigrants.'
He demanded to know what specific safeguarding and risk assessments had been conducted, particularly concerning pupil safety, given the barracks' proximity to schools and family housing.
Local representatives echoed these anxieties. Rhuraidh Stewart, Conservative leader at Highland Council, said: 'There are a lot of young families living around there who are very concerned about public safety.' Ward councillor Isabelle MacKenzie added: 'Military wives are furious and deeply concerned. They were told not to speak out.'
The Ministry of Defence is set to hand over the barracks to the Home Office on January 12. A Home Office spokesman stated: 'We are furious at the level of illegal migrants and asylum hotels. This government will close every asylum hotel.' They added that work is underway to find more suitable sites to ease pressure on communities.
