Plans to evict war veterans from a historic military base in Scotland to house asylum seekers have sparked furious protests and a significant political backlash, exposing deep divisions within communities.
Highland Revolt Over Barracks Plan
Residents in Inverness joined sickened war veterans for a major protest over the weekend against Home Office proposals for Cameron Barracks. The 140-year-old army recruitment base, long home to the Queens Own Highlanders Regimental Association, is slated to become accommodation for 300 male asylum seekers by the end of the month.
Crowds chanting 'send them home' were met by counter-demonstrators waving 'refugees welcome' signs, creating a tense standoff in the city centre. The protest, organised by 'Inverness Against Illegal Migrant Barracks', saw approximately 200 campaigners on each side at its peak, with many travelling from other parts of Scotland.
Isabelle MacKenzie, Conservative Councillor for the Millburn area, stated: 'Inverness has never seen anything like this. And I believe this is just the beginning.'
Veterans Voice Their Anger
The Cameron Barracks Regimental Association, which supports regimental veterans and their families financially and organises social events, has been instructed to vacate the site. Sources indicate the Ministry of Defence has informed the veterans' organisation they'll be displaced for up to a year.
Charlie MacIvor, 68, who served 25 years in the Queen's Own Highlanders, proudly displayed his HM Armed Forces badge during the protest. 'I am totally against this,' he said. 'Why are they sending all these people into Army barracks? A wee place like Inverness can't cope with an influx of that number of people.'
Graham Cameron, 66, a Royal Air Force veteran, demanded: 'Veterans who are homeless don't get any support from this Government – why give it to illegal immigrants? I believe we should be helping our own people first.'
Political Backlash and National Parallels
In a surprising move, the SNP-led Highland Council has joined the backlash against the proposal, arguing the base's location is 'inappropriate' and risks 'community cohesion'. This stance marks a stark contrast to the party's usual rhetoric around immigration and asylum.
Council Leader Raymond Bremner said: 'While welcoming people in need and seeking safety, elected members last week raised a number of valid concerns about this proposal and the way it has been communicated.' The council is now calling on the Home Office to hold a public meeting and has requested a meeting with the Home Secretary.
The situation in the Highlands is mirrored in Crowborough, East Sussex, where 2,000 people attended a march on Sunday protesting plans to house 600 single male asylum seekers in a nearby army training camp. Residents there have installed panic alarms amid safety fears, while others raised concerns about 600 extra people registering with local GPs when appointments are already scarce.
Home Office minister Alex Norris responded that any impact on locals would be 'minimised' and the security of people in surrounding areas was 'paramount'. A Home Office spokesman stated: 'We are furious at the level of illegal migrants and asylum hotels. This government will close every asylum hotel.'
The controversy emerges as Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood presses ahead with plans to toughen the UK's asylum laws, including quadrupling the wait for permanent settlement to 20 years and restricting appeals, though government sources have played down reports about emulating Denmark's controversial 'jewellery law'.
