Home Office officials have declined to guarantee that the number of migrants housed at three former military barracks will not significantly exceed current projections, according to minutes from a private meeting with councillors. This has led to warnings from local authorities that the eventual numbers could be "a lot more" than publicly stated.
At a meeting concerning RAF Barnham in Norfolk, Home Office officials were pressed on whether the number of asylum seekers, publicly stated as 1,250, could increase. They responded that it "could be a lot more," indicating that feasibility studies were underway to potentially increase capacity at RAF Wethersfield in Essex. This site, which began housing migrants in July 2023 with a current capacity of 700 to 800, has a target increase to at least 1,220 in the coming months.
Critics have interpreted these disclosures as evidence that the Home Office is not being transparent about its intentions for the sites, which also include former RAF bases in Bicester, Oxfordshire, and Linton-on-Ouse, North Yorkshire. The minutes were obtained by the Daily Mail.
Local councillors expressed concern that the plans could lead to "a semi-permanent migrant super-camp" on the doorstep of small communities. Scott Hussey, a Reform UK councillor for Norfolk County Council, stated that the situation leaves "the door wide open" for significant increases, potentially overwhelming local resources and exacerbating existing tensions. He added that "with boats arriving daily, demand is only going up."
Michael Hadwen, Reform UK's leader of Suffolk County Council, echoed these sentiments, accusing the Home Office of moving the goalposts and not being "fair about the number of people they want to house." He cautioned that the safety of the sites could not be guaranteed if the Home Office continued to be perceived as untruthful.
Tory MP Nick Timothy, whose constituents would be affected by the plans, called the situation "an absolute disgrace" and stated it was "further proof that Labour’s decision to impose huge numbers of illegal immigrants on the peaceful and quiet communities of Suffolk is an absolute disgrace." He criticized ministers for being "slippery and secretive," announcing the use of RAF Barnham after Parliament rose for the summer recess and refusing to answer questions from local MPs.
In North Yorkshire, Professor Olga Matthias, spokesperson for the Linton-on-Ouse Action Group, also expressed skepticism about the official figures, suggesting that the Home Office likely intends to house far more people than stated. RAF Linton-on-Ouse could potentially house as many as 1,500 male asylum seekers.
The Home Office has submitted an 'Urgent Crown Development' bid, which would allow it to bypass local planning authorities for the three sites. This move comes as the number of migrants arriving in the UK via small boats has reportedly surged past 80,000 since July 2024.
Reform UK's home affairs spokesman, Zia Yusuf, criticized the Home Office's plans, stating, "The Home Office has just exposed its true colours. It has no interest in stopping the illegal invasion of our country – instead, it is making plans to expand migrant camps to house more of them." He argued that small communities lack the infrastructure to absorb thousands more migrants and that the government should focus on detaining and deporting illegal migrants.
In parallel, Essex County Council has announced plans to deploy private security guards in Braintree, Colchester, and Chelmsford. This measure is intended to reassure residents amid concerns about the increasing number of asylum seekers at the Wethersfield base, which is expected to see a surge of up to 50 percent. The council-funded guards will be visible in town centers to deter anti-social behavior. Councillor Peter Harris of Essex County Council stated that community safety concerns, particularly for women and girls, have been raised directly with the Home Office due to daily gatherings of asylum seekers bussed from Wethersfield.
A Home Office spokesman stated that the department is closing asylum hotels and moving asylum seekers into alternative accommodations, including former military sites, while working with local authorities to minimize community impact. They also noted that asylum costs have decreased by £1 billion since the general election.