Mixed Reaction To Plans For Asylum Accommodation At Crowborough Military Site

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Residents have shared mixed views on government plans to house hundreds of asylum seekers at a former military training site in Crowborough, East Sussex.

The Home Office is proposing to temporarily accommodate around 600 people at the Crowborough Training Camp as part of efforts to reduce the use of hotels for asylum housing.

Local resident Lynn Street said she supports the plans, calling them “a good thing”.

“They need our compassion,” she said. “Crowborough is a decent town — we’ll help them out.”

However, John Lowden expressed concern about the potential impact on the small town.

“It could be worrying if hundreds of young men are left with nothing to do,” he said.

He added that when people from Afghanistan were previously housed at the site after the 2021 Kabul evacuation, there had been no major issues.

“We didn’t really notice it much,” he said.

Long-term resident Colin Chapman, who has lived in Crowborough for more than 50 years, said he is not opposed to asylum seekers coming to the area but worries about the strain on local services.

“There are already long waits for GP appointments,” he said, adding that the government appeared “desperate” to find suitable accommodation.

According to Wealden District Council, the Crowborough site is self-contained, and essential services will be provided on-site to reduce pressure on local facilities.

The council said that safety and security for nearby residents is a priority, with permanent security staff planned for the camp.

Some asylum seekers may also be offered opportunities to volunteer within the local community, the council confirmed.

The move is part of a wider government initiative to phase out the use of hotels for asylum accommodation.

Other proposed options include repurposing industrial sites and disused facilities.

As of June 2025, around 32,000 asylum seekers were living in hotels across the UK — a drop from more than 56,000 in 2023.

Government figures show the projected cost of asylum accommodation contracts from 2019 to 2029 has risen from £4.5 billion to £15.3 billion.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said he is “frustrated and angry” about the situation, blaming previous policies for leaving what he described as a “huge mess” in the asylum system.