First asylum seekers moved into Crowborough former military site

The Home Office has confirmed that the first asylum seekers have been moved to a former military site in East Sussex.

27 men seeking asylum arrived at Crowborough training camp, which would eventually be expanded to accommodate more than 500 migrants.

The government said the move was part of its “mission to end the use of expensive hotels”, while Home Affairs Minister Shabana Mahmood said “Crowborough is just the beginning”.

There were frequent protests against the plans, which were first announced last year but postponed.

The government said the move to major areas such as Crowborough was an important part of “reforms to tackle illegal immigration and the pull factors that make the UK an attractive destination”.

Mahmood said: “I will be highlighting every location until all asylum hotels are closed and returned to local communities.”

More than 400 hotels were opened under the last government at a cost of £9 million per day, according to the Home Office.

Just under 200 are currently in use, and overall shelter costs have fallen by 15%.

Wealden District Council leader James Partridge said it was the wrong decision to house asylum seekers in Crowborough.

But he added: “We need to make the best of it.”

Partridge called on the community to come together “like we did when Afghan families and Ukrainian refugees arrived.”

The official said he wanted to see if the local authority could legally challenge the move.

The announcement of the plans in October created excitement mixed reactions from the community.

Some were concerned about safety and the potential impact on local services, but others called for compassion.

Crowborough Shield, which describes itself as a non-political, voluntary group of residents. A lawsuit was filed against the plans in December.

A spokesman for the group said: “Despite our collective, lawful, peaceful and consistent efforts to ensure that the home secretary listens to our concerns, he has ignored them.”

Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp described it as “another day of shame for the Labor government”.

He accused the Home Office of “driving out” army and RAF cadets who used it for training every year.