The Home Office has confirmed that the initial group of asylum seekers has been relocated to a military facility in Sussex. This move saw 27 individuals transferred to Crowborough training camp in the early hours of Thursday. The government plans to increase the utilization of decommissioned Ministry of Defence sites to reduce the number of asylum seekers accommodated in hotels.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood stated that Crowborough is just the beginning of a series of relocations. The government aims to close all asylum hotels and hand them back to local communities to restore border order and control. The decision to use the Crowborough site has sparked controversy, leading to several protests since its proposal as an asylum center.
According to the Home Office, individuals will stay at Crowborough for a maximum of three months while their asylum applications are processed. Those whose applications are rejected will be relocated, officials confirmed. The government reported a decrease in the number of hotels housing migrants, from over 400 under the previous administration to under 200 currently. The Labour Party has committed to shutting down the remaining hotels by 2029, with Keir Starmer expressing a desire to expedite this process.
Critics have raised concerns about the efficacy of this relocation. Imran Hussain from the Refugee Council criticized the government’s approach, arguing that the use of military camps as accommodation solutions has previously failed. He suggested a more efficient solution where individuals from countries like Sudan and Iran, likely to be recognized as refugees, are granted temporary permission to stay after thorough security checks.
Wealden District Council opposed the usage of the site for asylum seekers, with Leader James Partridge stating their objections had been disregarded by the Home Office. The council is considering legal action, although Partridge acknowledged the likelihood of the camp opening. He urged the community to manage the situation constructively and avoid exacerbating tensions.
The Home Office emphasized that all individuals at the facility underwent screening against law enforcement, criminal, and immigration databases, in addition to preliminary health assessments. As of September, around 36,273 asylum seekers were residing in hotels awaiting asylum decisions. The number peaked at 56,018 in September 2023, decreased to 29,561 in June 2024 before the general election.