asylum seekers, USA News (London): 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 noted it is working to fairly house asylum seekers across the country, moving them into alternative accommodation, including former military sites designed to be self-contained to reduce impact on the local community.
Community Pushback and Local Referendums
The funding comes amid nationwide backlash from several British communities opposing both current and future asylum sites. One of the most public disputes from campaigners in Piddington captured attention worldwide. Residents in the Oxfordshire village held a symbolic referendum and voted to leave the UK in protest at the Home Office plan to house up to 1,256 male asylum seekers at the nearby former MoD Bicester. The small village holds a population of less than 400 people.
Residents of Barnham became the second village to vote to hold a referendum on leaving the UK over plans to house 913 asylum seekers at their nearby RAF base. Barnham’s population hovers around 600, leaving residents outnumbered by the expected single male occupants.
Financial Scrutiny and Opposition
Campaigners in Linton-on-Ouse have called for a Government investigation after claims that creating an asylum site in their community could cost taxpayers £270 million. The group claims the centre could cost between £443 and £853 per occupied bed per night, depending on occupancy levels, significantly more than housing asylum seekers in hotels.
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 on the edge of the North Yorkshire village. Under the latest proposals, the former base would house single adult male asylum seekers aged 18 to 65, with CCTV and 24-hour security, allowing men to come and go while signing in and out.
Labour stated the scheme would operate for a minimum of three years and cut Britain’s reliance on expensive asylum hotels. The Linton-on-Ouse Action Group indicated it will keep campaigning against the plans, while the Home Office noted it has not yet made a final decision.
