Protesters marched in Crowborough, East Sussex, on June 28, 2026, to demonstrate against the plan to use the Crowborough Training Camp, a former military barracks, to house migrants until 2030. The decision to extend the use of the site, which houses "small boat migrants," was announced earlier in the week.
Demonstrators, including families with young children, gathered first at the military site before moving into the town center. There, they encountered a counter-demonstration where participants held signs with messages such as "one world, one love" and "everyone is our neighbour."
However, the anti-migrant housing protest was larger, with chants including "Keir Starmer is a traitor" and "whose streets, our streets." Protesters also voiced concerns about economic hardship, stating, "We are all getting poorer, no help for British suffering, but for those across our borders. Hospitals at breaking point, mental health at an all-time high. We must all be united, to hear our cries."
The protest was notably led by a silver Ford van displaying England flags and signs reading "stop the boats" and "Crowborough says no." According to the DVLA website, the vehicle's MOT had expired on June 5, 23 days prior.
Local resident Sandra March, 49, expressed her dismay, calling the continued use of the site "a disgrace" and "a danger to our community." She stated that "hundreds of men, unvetted and unaccounted for" were present, creating an unsettling environment for women. "It's a diabolical decision," she added. Another demonstrator claimed that people had left the area due to the camp, citing feelings of unsafety and a betrayal of earlier assurances that the site would only be used for a year.
This protest follows recent government announcements on June 25 regarding migrant accommodation. Ministers revealed plans to use three additional former military barracks—RAF Barnham in Suffolk, RAF Linton-on-Ouse in Yorkshire, and a former Army barracks in Bicester, Oxfordshire—for asylum seekers. The plans also include extending the use of existing sites, such as Crowborough until 2030 and Wethersfield beyond 2027. These measures are intended to create approximately 5,000 additional beds for migrants arriving via small boats.
Previous plans to house asylum seekers at RAF Linton-on-Ouse were halted in 2022 after local protests and a legal challenge. The government also announced the closure of 20 hotels previously used for migrant housing, including the Bell Hotel in Epping.