A taxpayer-funded minibus service taking asylum seekers from a former army training camp in Crowborough, East Sussex, to Crawley, West Sussex, has sparked anger among residents and traders.
The service transports migrants around 20 miles to Crawley, with minibuses reportedly running throughout the day. According to a Sky News investigation, the Home Office arranged the journeys to allow asylum seekers to access services unavailable at the camp while easing pressure on Crowborough, where the accommodation site has faced significant opposition.
Residents and traders question spending
Residents and traders in Crawley have questioned the spending. One market trader, Nick, who has operated a stall in the town for 12 years, expressed his anger, saying: "That makes me feel angry, because that money should be spent [on] hospitals, looking after people that have worked all their life in this country."
He added: "As a country, we are broke. We got no money. This is mental. What we doing? I just think it's wrong."
Mohammad Huzaifa Bora, an imam at a mosque in Crawley, also raised concerns about the impact on the town, saying: "No town should export their problem to Crawley. Crawley has enough of their own issues."
He added: "We know Crowley has a diverse community. They would be able to blend in here, but if the crime goes up here, if women feel is unsafe, that will be a division within the community."
Documents reveal cost projections
Sky News obtained documents revealing that ministers had been warned the Crowborough accommodation site was initially expected to cost more per person than housing asylum seekers in hotels. The documents, presented to ministers in January before the site opened, projected accommodation costs of £200 per person per night, compared with an estimated £144 for hotel accommodation.
However, updated forecasts now put the cost at £138 per person per night, representing a projected saving of £6 compared with the hotel figure.
Dame Karen Bradley, chair of the House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, also raised concerns about the use of large-scale accommodation sites and the taxpayer-funded minibus service, saying: "I'm not sure [it's] a good use of taxpayers' money."
Resident and council concerns
The investigation also featured a former Crowborough camp resident, identified as Murtaza, who claimed nearly 100 asylum seekers used the minibus service each day. He said many asylum seekers felt uncomfortable visiting Crowborough because of opposition to the camp and claimed the buses helped prevent tensions with residents.
Asked whether moving asylum seekers from hotels into more basic accommodation would deter people from crossing the English Channel in small boats, he replied: "I don't think so." He added: "We don't care whether it's a hotel or a camp. They just want to have a shelter. They just want to have a bed for sleep. It's not gonna work."
Meanwhile, James Partridge, deputy leader of the district council, has reportedly received death threats amid tensions surrounding the Crowborough site. He told Sky News the impact of asylum seekers had been limited, saying: "We don't see much of them," but added: "To say that it's all jolly fine is not right. We've become a political playground."
The Government has pledged to end the use of asylum hotels by 2029, with larger accommodation sites forming part of its plans to reduce costs. The Home Office says alternative accommodation, including former military sites, remains an effective way to bring down asylum costs, which it says have fallen by £1 billion since the general election.
