Crowborough Asylum Site Could Stay Open Until 2030 Under Home Office Plans

The Home Office is seeking to extend the use of the former military site at Crowborough to house asylum seekers until 2030 as part of wider plans to move people out of hotels.

The proposal comes alongside plans to use three additional Ministry of Defence sites in Bicester, Barnham and Linton-on-Ouse, which could accommodate around 3,750 asylum seekers if planning permission is granted.

Crowborough Training Camp in East Sussex and RAF Wethersfield in Essex are already being used to house asylum seekers. The government also wants to extend the use of Wethersfield beyond 2027.

The move forms part of Labour's pledge to end the use of asylum hotels, with the Home Office announcing that a further 20 hotels have now closed, including The Cisswood in Horsham.

As of March this year, 20,885 asylum seekers were living in hotels while 72,768 were being housed in other accommodation awaiting decisions on their claims.

The number in hotels has fallen from a peak of 56,000 in September 2023.

Border Security and Asylum Minister Alex Norris said using former military sites would help replace hotels and bring the asylum system "back under control".

However, the use of military sites has proved controversial, with protests taking place outside Crowborough Training Camp and criticism from human rights organisations.

The British Red Cross said military barracks are often in isolated locations and warned alternative accommodation should allow people seeking asylum to live "in safety and dignity".

The plans come ahead of a new Immigration and Asylum Bill, expected to be introduced in Parliament next week, which aims to increase the forced removal of people whose asylum claims have been refused.