An ex-military base in Bicester, Oxfordshire, is being considered by the Home Office to house 1,250 single adult male asylum seekers, a move that has drawn significant concern from local villagers and their Member of Parliament.
The proposed site, MOD Bicester, would accommodate men aged 18 to 65 who have applied for asylum. While these individuals would not be detained, they would be required to adhere to a sign-in, sign-out system when leaving the premises. The Home Office stated that the ex-military base would be a self-contained and largely self-sufficient facility to minimize its impact on local services.
Tim McNally, chair of the Piddington Parish Council, expressed apprehension, suggesting that women and children in the community would have to adapt their lives due to the presence of the new residents. Villagers have reportedly met to discuss conditions they wish to see met before the plan is implemented.
Woodstock MP Calum Miller has voiced strong opposition to the proposal, reporting that over 7,000 residents have signed his petition against the decision. Miller stated on Facebook that he has requested an immediate explanation from ministers regarding the timeline of these plans, asserting that local communities were kept uninformed. He characterized the decision as originating from Downing Street and the Home Office, with the MOD Bicester base and the surrounding community left to manage the consequences without substantial input.
Miller described the MOD Bicester site as isolated and unsuitable in a statement to the House of Commons. He conveyed that constituents feel the decision was made in secrecy and imposed upon Bicester, with local residents treated as an afterthought. He highlighted that opposition to the plan spans across the political spectrum and the community, arguing that the site is inappropriate for both asylum seekers and the nearby villages due to a lack of a credible plan for local services, support, or social cohesion.
If approved, MOD Bicester would be utilized for a minimum of 10 years to house the asylum seekers. An initial influx of 270 individuals is anticipated by the end of 2026. The proposal is part of a broader government initiative to move asylum seekers out of hotels and into alternative accommodation. This includes planning applications for two other military sites, RAF Barnham in Suffolk and RAF Linton-on-Ouse in Yorkshire, as well as extensions for existing sites in Crowborough and Wethersfield, collectively aiming to create nearly 5,000 additional beds.
Previous attempts to house asylum seekers at military sites have faced significant local opposition. Plans to accommodate up to 1,500 asylum seekers at RAF Linton-on-Ouse were abandoned in 2022 following protests and a legal challenge from the local council. This past month, ministers also announced the closure of 20 hotels used for housing asylum seekers, a move that the Labour party stated would save taxpayers £170 million this financial year. The number of asylum seekers housed in hotels has reportedly fallen to its lowest point since data collection began in 2022, with 20,885 individuals in hotel accommodation at the end of March, a decrease from 32,326 a year prior.