The Home Office has announced it is expanding the use of military bases to house asylum seekers, with three new sites set to open in England. Barracks are considered a less problematic alternative to hotels for accommodating those awaiting asylum claim decisions, but they remain controversial due to cost and suitability concerns.
New sites and extensions
The Home Office is seeking planning permission for MOD Bicester in Oxfordshire, MOD Barnham in Suffolk, and MOD Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire. Additionally, the use of Crowborough in East Sussex is extended until 2030, and Wethersfield in Essex is extended beyond 2027. Wethersfield is also being expanded to allow 1,200 more bedspaces.
These expansions coincide with the closure of 20 asylum hotels, including the Bell Hotel in Epping, which was a focal point for protests last year. Border Security and Asylum Minister Alex Norris said the number of hotels used for this purpose had 'more than halved' from its peak of 400, with just under 170 currently active.
Government cost savings
According to the Home Office, closing these hotels—alongside 11 announced in April—will save taxpayers £170 million this financial year. Asylum costs overall have fallen by almost £1 billion. The total number of people claiming asylum in the UK is down 12% compared to last year, following a sharp rise after the end of COVID-19 lockdowns.
Norris said: 'Instead, we’re moving asylum seekers into ex-military sites that are a far cry from the hotels the last government left us with. This is a system being brought back under control – and we will not stop until the job is done.'
Criticism from refugee groups and opposition
The Refugee Council criticized the announcement, with Director of External Affairs Imran Hussein arguing the government could lower costs by 'housing people in communities and improving Home Office decision-making'. He said the policy was 'storing up problems for the next Prime Minister by repeating policies that failed in the recent past'.
Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp said the Labour government 'should be putting illegal immigrants on a plane home rather than messing around with military camps and hotels'. He added: 'Only the Conservatives have the backbone and the plan to leave the ECHR and end the lawfare that blocks removals, so every illegal immigrant can be deported.'
There are currently around 7,000 more asylum seekers living in dispersal accommodation—flats or houses in communities—than at the time of the 2024 general election.
