Protests over plans to house asylum seekers in former military bases

Protests have erupted in response to government plans to house asylum seekers in former military bases, with local communities and activists voicing strong opposition. The Home Office has identified three disused military sites in Suffolk, North Yorkshire, and Oxfordshire, which it says could accommodate nearly 4,000 asylum seekers. The move is part of a government strategy to close expensive hotels used to house people waiting for their asylum claims to be processed, a policy that has itself been the focus of protests.

In Bicester, Oxfordshire, a historic market town with strong military links, the plan to convert a former army base into accommodation for asylum seekers has caused particular concern. The site, currently used to store old equipment such as army fencing, has no existing barracks. The government would need to bring in portable cabins to house the men, a process that could cost millions of pounds. The Home Office says the accommodation would be largely self-sufficient to minimise impact on the local community, but residents and local politicians have raised serious objections.

At a protest in Bicester, demonstrators expressed fears about safety, with one resident saying: "We need to be safe in our own community." She cited concerns that all the asylum seekers would be single men, adding: "Males have needs, and females are going to be quite exposed and vulnerable." Another protester held a placard reading: "The government are handing over our safety from women and children to the migrants." The protest was supported by the leader of the local reform group, Councillor Paul Jeffries, who said he was "scared to death" for local people. He claimed the asylum seekers would be allowed to come and go freely, and argued that their culture, particularly from Afghanistan, could lead to demands for Sharia law. When challenged, he admitted he had no evidence for that claim, saying: "I haven't got any evidence for that."

Local Liberal Democrat MP Callum Miller, whose constituency includes the area, said he pulled out of speaking at the protest because he felt it was being hijacked by outsiders. He expressed concern about the lack of transparency and the government's use of a special procedure to fast-track the planning application. He also highlighted practical pressures: "In this area, we've had real pressure on energy, on water, on sewage. And so it's a real question for local people how the MOD and the Home Office are suddenly going to turn that on for what will be more than 1,250 people."

The demonstration also attracted online activists and groups from outside the area, including a group from Oxford who opposed the use of military sites. One activist said: "It seems to be completely the wrong way going forward to create more camps that are going to become magnets for far-right agitators." The government has said it will continue with its plans, but as communities on all sides feel their concerns are being ignored, the protests are also likely to continue.