Cries of ‘Starmer out’ as thousands protest against plans to house 600 lone male asylum seekers in an army camp on the edge of their town

Residents chanted “Starmer out” as thousands joined a protest against plans to house 600 lone male refugees in an army camp on the edge of their town.

Crowborough army training camp in East Sussex is set to house refugees as part of Labor’s bid to reduce the use of asylum hotels.

Local people said they had installed panic alarms in their homes due to security concerns, while also expressing concern about the 600 immigrants registered with general practitioners in the district, and some were already having difficulty making appointments.

Today’s march, attended by nearly 2,000 people, followed an angry public meeting on Thursday night in which local politicians were shouted at and chased from the community center hall.

Residents marched through the town with their children to demand that the government drop its plan to use the army camp for male migrants.

Refugee status will become provisional and subject to regular review; Refugees will be deported as soon as their home countries are deemed safe.

There will be a 20-year wait to apply for permanent settlement and support rights, including housing and weekly allowances, will be cancelled.

But Kim Bailey, chief executive of Crowborough Shield, a grassroots organization challenging the Home Office, said the proposed changes to asylum laws would not change anything in her town.

’20 years sounds reasonable, but it won’t make any difference to our current situation,’ he said.

Protest in Crowborough forms giant line alongside traffic in city

It is understood around 2,000 people attended the march earlier today

The banner hung during the protest read: ‘600 anonymous people, single men, can move freely’

Aerial view of a military training base in East Sussex where male refugees will be housed

‘What happens here won’t matter.

Crowborough Shield has so far raised more than £12,000 to fund legal proceedings.

“I am in constant contact with our legal team and I am confident we can stop this,” Ms Bailey said.

‘The power of emotions is truly incredible. All his plans are wrong.’

The Home Office proposal sees the army camp on the edge of the East Sussex town become a holding area for 600 lone men.

Local people said they installed panic alarms in their homes due to security fears.

“It’s ridiculous what they’re doing,” Ms Bailey said. ‘Defenseless men coming to Crowborough from war-torn countries?

‘You have a police firearms training center and a public shooting range.

‘People with PTSD who will constantly hear gunshots will be affected by this and will try to escape from that environment.

‘These are unvetted men, we don’t know who they are.’

Crowborough has a population of just over 20,000. It borders Ashdown Forest, home of Winnie the Pooh.

‘This is a very rural area surrounded by trees and woods,’ Ms Bailey said.

Locals march through the town with their children to demand the Labor government abandon plans to use the army camp for male refugees

Hundreds of protesters took to the streets today against plans to house refugees on the edge of their town

Another banner at the protest read: ‘Our children’s freedom is gone, so they too can regain their freedom.’

Work continues to prepare the site for new residents.

A photo from inside one of the rooms to be occupied by refugees in Crowborough

Protesters in Crowborough, East Sussex, carrying banners, marched through the city center this morning over plans to house 600 male refugees at Crowborough Training Camp

It is understood around 2,000 people attended the march earlier today

‘If crimes are to be committed, they will remain unheard of.

Local people believe that the camp itself is unsafe. They are repairing and painting the asbestos in the camp.

‘These men will be a burden on the NHS and if they are deported they will die a long, slow and terrible death from asbestos.

‘The main point is that the Ministry of Internal Affairs has not carried out the necessary inspection on the site. The water system is hazardous to health.

‘These are all the things they don’t want anyone to see.’

The Home Office identified Crowborough as a place to house 600 men for 12 months.

“We don’t believe them, we know full well this won’t last just 12 months,” Ms Bailey said.

‘Why are they spending millions on it if it’s only going to be there for 12 months?

‘How can they justify spending this much money if it’s only going to be used for 12 months?

‘You can’t get planning permission to build houses because of the environmental impact and they’re going to move 600 people? This is hypocrisy.’

At the rally held after the march, speakers called on the community to unite.

Mrs Bailey told the crowd: ‘This is our town. We are real people, we are just residents who have never done anything like this before.

‘We need to stand together.

‘Crowborough sets the stage for what’s to come.’

Kerrie Knight, one of the urban Pink Lady organisers, said: ‘This isn’t about race or religion, this is about love.

‘This is about risk and safety, this is about common sense.

‘Something that is not under our leadership.’

Another protest is planned for next weekend.

Local independent councilor Andrew Wilson said: ‘We all need to go out every weekend until we turn this around.’