By Charlotte Webster-
The government today confirmed a significant policy pivot in its efforts to control border costs and regain authority over the asylum system: hundreds of individuals will soon be transferred to military sites. This major announcement comes after a challenging period for the administration, including operational failures and persistent political turbulence.
Pic: Sky News
Approximately 900 men will be temporarily housed at two key military locations: Cameron Barracks in Inverness and Crowborough Training Camp in East Sussex. Sky News understands that the government is aiming to start moving the first groups of migrants into these sites by the end of November.
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The Prime Minister is reportedly “furious” about the escalating expense associated with the continued use of private hotels. Consequently, the Prime Minister has instructed both the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to aggressively accelerate their work on identifying further suitable military and disused accommodation sites, with additional results expected in the coming weeks and months.
A Home Office spokesperson defended the decision, stating authorities are “furious at the level of illegal migrants and asylum hotels.” They emphasized the government’s commitment to eventually closing every asylum hotel across the country. Work is currently well underway, they confirmed, with more suitable sites being brought forward to simultaneously ease pressure on local communities and dramatically cut asylum costs.
Officials are now considering industrial sites, temporary facilities, and other disused accommodation as alternatives, rapidly stepping up efforts to find non-hotel alternatives. Conversely, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has also expressed his frustration, describing the current situation as a “huge mess” left by the previous administration.
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Starmer has promised to close all asylum hotels by the end of this current parliamentary term, ideally hoping to achieve that goal sooner. This widespread push to move Asylum Seekers in Military Barracks highlights the intense political pressure on the border issue. .
The immediate local reaction to the policy shift was swift and overwhelmingly negative, particularly from within the government’s own political ranks. Nus Ghani, the MP for Sussex Weald, publicly declared she was “furious” that the government plans to house Asylum Seekers in Military Barracks within her constituency.
Nus Ghani. ‘UK Parliament’. Pic: Sky News
Ghani, a Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons, released a strongly worded statement on social media, asserting she had “yet to receive a formal notification” about the plans for Crowborough Training Camp.
Furthermore, she criticized local Green and Liberal Democrat councillors for allegedly holding “private conversations” with government officials concerning the site. The MP immediately launched a petition to oppose the plan, arguing that the previous Conservative government had “rejected outright” the Crowborough site during earlier assessments.
Ghani explained that the site’s layout and the significant difficulty and extra costs involved in adapting the facility were primary reasons for its initial rejection. She further cautioned that modifying the camp would inevitably put the proposed plan in conflict with existing local planning policy, raising potential legal and regulatory hurdles.
If the story proves true and Crowborough is indeed being assessed, Ghani promised she will be “seeking urgent answers” from the Home Office, the Ministry of Defence, and the Leadership at Wealden District Council. She expressed profound concern that residents and locally elected representatives had been completely excluded from early conversations.
The local MP demanded clarity on the format and leadership of any future consultation. Concluding her passionate statement, she reiterated, “The Crowborough Training Camp has already been rejected as being wholly inappropriate,” urging residents to sign her petition if they believe Crowborough deserves better than to host Asylum Seekers in Military Barracks. .
This sudden governmental acceleration to move Asylum Seekers in Military Barracks is framed by significant security failures that occurred just days prior. The controversy intensified following the mistaken release of Hadush Kebatu, a migrant sex offender who was accidentally freed from HMP Chelmsford on Friday instead of being deported. Kebatu was found guilty in September of sexually assaulting a minor and a woman in Epping shortly after arriving in the UK via a small boat. Justice Secretary David Lammy confirmed that “human error” was to blame for the deeply embarrassing incident, which necessitated a weekend manhunt ending with Kebatu’s arrest on Sunday in London.
However, the Prison Officers’ Association (POA) quickly issued a counter-warning, stating they “will not accept any scapegoating of staff.” The POA claims it has highlighted a “severe lack of training” within the service for at least a decade, suggesting the issue is systemic, not merely individual. In broader political news, new polling figures have delivered further disappointment for Sir Keir Starmer’s party, registering a record low in support.
Consequently, the government’s drive to house Asylum Seekers in Military Barracks can be viewed as an urgent attempt to demonstrate decisive action and control over the border crisis amid significant system failures and internal political dissent.
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