Labour, USA News: The Government has announced plans to use £150 million of taxpayers’ money to fund additional large sites to accommodate asylum seekers. Following Chancellor John Healey’s Budget statement, it was revealed that Labour is set to facilitate the Government’s commitment to ending asylum hotels.
In the Treasury red book, it states that the Government is providing £150 million capital investment in 2027-2028 to fund additional large sites to accommodate asylum seekers and facilitate the Government’s commitment to end the use of asylum hotels. The Home Office has stated that its plan to close asylum hotels and move people into alternative accommodation is saving taxpayers money.
A spokesman previously said of its strategy that the Government is closing every asylum hotel, saving taxpayers over £1 billion on asylum support since the election. The administration is working to fairly house asylum seekers across the country, moving individuals into alternative accommodation, including former military sites designed to be self-contained to reduce impact on the local community. As part of the process, authorities engage with local councils and police forces to ensure safety and security.
Local Backlash and Protests
The funding comes amid nationwide backlash from several British communities opposing current and future asylum sites. One of the most public disputes from campaigners in Piddington captured attention when residents in the Oxfordshire village held a symbolic referendum last month and voted to leave the UK in protest at Home Office plans to house up to 1,256 male asylum seekers at the nearby former MoD Bicester. Residents of Barnham also voted to hold a referendum over plans to house 913 asylum seekers at their nearby RAF base.
Campaigners in Linton-on-Ouse called for a Government investigation after claiming that creating an asylum site in their community could cost taxpayers £270 million. The Linton-on-Ouse Action Group wrote to the Chancellor demanding a full financial review before the government uses the newly announced £150 million to convert the former RAF base in North Yorkshire. Under the latest proposals, the former RAF base would house single adult male asylum seekers aged 18 to 65 with CCTV and 24-hour security, while the Home Office stated it has not yet made a final decision.
