Plans to evict war veterans from their historic base in Inverness to accommodate 300 male asylum seekers have sparked protests, with locals and veterans joining forces against the move. The Queens Own Highlanders Regimental Association, based at Cameron Barracks, will be relocated as part of a Home Office proposal to convert the site into asylum accommodation by the end of the month.
The SNP-led Highland Council has opposed the proposal, arguing the location is 'inappropriate' and risks 'community cohesion'. This stance contrasts with the party's usual rhetoric on immigration. Councillor Isabelle MacKenzie said: 'Inverness has never seen anything like this. And I believe this is just the beginning.'
At a weekend protest in Inverness, about 200 campaigners on each side gathered, with chants including 'Send them home' heard. Veteran Charlie MacIvor, 68, who served 25 years in the Queen's Own Highlanders, said: 'A wee place like Inverness can't cope with an influx of that number of people.' Another veteran, Graham Cameron, 66, demanded: 'Veterans who are homeless don't get any support from this Government – why give it to illegal immigrants?'
Similar tensions have arisen in Crowborough, East Sussex, where a march of 2,000 people protested plans to house 600 single men in an army training camp. Residents have installed panic alarms amid safety fears and raised concerns about pressure on local GP services.
