‘They’ve taken us all for idiots’: Residents accuse Home Office of ‘lying’ and using ‘underhand tactics’ after asylum seekers were bussed into barracks at 3.28am despite protests
Residents living just meters away from the former Army barracks accused the Home Office of ‘lying’ after male refugees arrived at the camp at 3.28am.
A total of 27 illegal immigrants arrived at the camp in Crowborough in minibuses accompanied by police on Thursday morning.
It comes as the Home Office decided to move forward with a plan to house 540 refugees at the centre, despite months of protests from angry locals.
A couple living near the army base are concerned about the new site and the ‘scale’ of the operation.
Christine Straker said: ‘You hear all these rumors and think ‘well, it might be true’ but now it’s happened, we’re shocked.
‘We knew this was going to happen because they spent so much money there and to be honest they made fools of us all.
‘There used to be half a dozen cars going there a day and now they’re talking 400 cars.’
He added: ‘The Home Office lied and did nothing it promised.’
A 16-passenger minivan was driven into a migrant camp in Crowborough in the early hours of this morning
The coach was assisted by a police escort at 3.28am on Thursday.
The immigrants were seen standing in front of the barracks after arriving at the camp this morning.
Ms Straker said she learned the site would be operational on Wednesday evening but had been worried about it since November.
‘We couldn’t sleep and it was really affecting our health,’ he said.
His partner Phillip Straker added: ‘Relief isn’t actually the right word but it helps us know what we have to deal with.’
Mr and Mrs Straker feel there is ‘no communication’ between the government and the local community.
‘We had Afghan families there. Well, they were good. “We would wave at them and they would wave back, they were all very respectful,” Ms Straker said.
‘There are Ukrainian families in the city, they are absolutely fine, but to compare this with what will happen – that is, with what is happening now – is absolutely ridiculous, it is incomparable.’
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp described the arrival of migrants to the camp as ‘another day of shame’ for the Labor government.
‘Housing illegal immigrants costs £4bn a year and they pose a threat to local communities up and down the country,’ he said.
Beds at the training camp now housing the first male refugees
Shower in the military barracks where immigrants are sheltered
Outside the interview room at Crowborough Training Camp in East Sussex
‘We have seen hundreds of crimes committed by illegal immigrants in shelters, including rape, sexual assault and even murder.
‘Now Crowborough’s women and children will also be exposed to these risks.’
The asylum seekers will be held there for up to three months until their claims are processed. Home Affairs Minister Shabana Mahmood said ‘Crowborough is just the beginning’ and the move will help the government close migrant hotels.
But town residents fighting to prevent the plans from moving forward have vowed to continue fighting against the ‘illegal’ decision to open the camp.
Campaign group Crowborough Shield ‘disgracefully’ accused Ms Mahmood of failing to attend the judicial review and said they hoped to take action against the plan in the courts.
Mr Philp described the decision as ‘another day of shame for the Labor government’ and said women and children in the town could be at risk of ‘rape, sexual assault and even murder’ from detainees.
Residents have been taking to the streets every Sunday for months, insisting that the migrant camp would threaten the safety and well-being of people living nearby.
Wealden District Council leader James Partridge said the government had refused to listen to residents’ concerns and ‘we feel strongly that this was the wrong decision’. He said the council was also considering taking the government to court over the plans.
Mr Partridge said: ‘The Home Office has decided to make Crowborough Army Camp available as a temporary location for asylum seekers.
Police officers stand outside Crowborough Training Camp today after the arrival of the first group of migrants
Aerial view of former military barracks with police presence in the area this morning
Police officers outside the former military base this afternoon following the arrival of illegal immigrants
‘I told the Minister we felt strongly that this was the wrong decision. Mr. Minister did not listen to any of us despite our harsh objections. The camp is expected to open in the coming days.
‘So what will happen next? There are two urgent points. First, we contacted our legal team and asked them to review the decision to see if there was any way we could legally challenge the decision.
We know this is a long shot, but we have been researching the Home Office throughout the process to see if we can find a way to bring successful legal action. We will take action if our lawyers advise that there is a reasonable chance of success.
‘Secondly, we must accept that the camp will most likely open. ‘While we know many people will be angry, scared and worried about this, we will need to find a way to make the most of it.’
This comes just days after the latest protest by hundreds of residents who took to the streets on Sunday to stop the plans moving forward.
They gathered outside the old barracks before marching through the town, holding banners reading ‘Crowborough says no’.
The Tory frontrunner added: ‘This facility was used for the training of 6,000 Army and RAF cadets each year, as well as police and fire training.
‘They are all now deported for harboring illegal immigrants.
A room inside the military barracks to be used to accommodate more male refugees
Exterior of one of the buildings at Crowborough’s immigrant training camp
Tables and chairs in common area at Army barracks in Sussex
‘Only the Conservatives have a plan to deal with this: leave the European Convention on Human Rights and deport all illegal immigrants within a week of their arrival.
‘Then the boats will stop and we won’t need to house tens of thousands of illegal immigrants.’
Campaigners have raised concerns about the plans, arguing that the decision to start moving migrants into the camp is illegal.
Kim Bailey, chair of the Crowborough Shield campaign, said the group hoped to take action following the decision.
In a statement he said: ‘Together with our legal team we will consider the possibility of obtaining an injunction to prevent occupation (or further occupation) of the site and in any event we will proceed with our judicial review, which the Home Secretary shamefully did not properly participate in.
‘The grossly inadequate, dishonest and biased Screening Order that must be issued to support the Home Secretary’s decision clearly supports our claim that this entire scheme is unlawful.
‘We plan to continue prosecuting the Home Secretary.’
The equipment in the barracks area is ready for the first group of immigrants to arrive early in the morning.
A crowd of campaigners took to the streets of Crowborough waving flags for the 12th consecutive week on Sunday
Angry locals have been marching in the Sussex town every Sunday since the announcement
A spokesperson for Crowborough Shield residents’ group said in a video message to supporters on Facebook: ‘The Home Office and the Home Secretary do not care about the impact on this community.
‘They didn’t give 48 hours notice, which we knew they would never do.
‘Wealden District Council does not appear to be considering a cease and desist order so we are meeting with the legal team and I will update you later.’
A member of another Crowborough residents group on Facebook said: ‘Everything the authorities have done regarding the camp has been underhanded.
‘They don’t even have the decency to be open and honest about this. And they wonder why people are angry and upset.’
Accommodation at Crowborough has 24/7 security with CCTV and resident logins.
They will also complete health and police checks before arriving at the base.
Home Secretary Ms Mahmood said: ‘Illegal immigration puts huge pressure on communities.
‘That’s why we’re removing the incentives that attract illegal immigrants to the UK, and closing the asylum hotels that disrupt communities.
‘Crowborough is just the beginning. I will bring up every place until every asylum hotel is closed and returned to local communities.
‘I will not rest until order and control are restored at our borders.’
Local MP Nusrat Ghani said: ‘This is a coup. Like many Sussex Weald residents, I have been fighting the Home Office over plans to house asylum seekers at Crowborough Training Camp.
‘I heard that the agreement has been completed and the Ministry of Internal Affairs is moving the refugees here.
‘The Home Office has not bothered to share its evidence about how secure, legal and compliant the site is. The Home Office did not notify us not only about its decisions, but also about the transportation of asylum seekers.
‘I have been fighting with the Home Office every day since the story broke in October last year.
‘This is a ridiculous decision by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Crowborough Training Camp has previously been rejected and is the most active training camp facility in the South East, not only for Army and Royal Air Force Cadets but also for our Police and Fire Services. They were all fired.
‘I have advocated for the Crowborough community from the beginning, I work with the Crowborough community and share our legitimate concerns. I have challenged the Minister many times in meetings and have been held accountable to the Home Office on more than 50 occasions. It’s a shame they’re not transparent.
‘Wealden District Council is led by the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party and is the Home Office’s lead partner as the planning authority. The community pleaded with them to take legal action on planning, environmental concerns and health and safety grounds.
‘They have not yet proven what legal action they will take. Now that the Home Office has occupied the area, Wealden District Council needs to step up and take legal action.
‘It is up to Wealden District Council to explain how they will work with the Home Office and local services to manage this and keep the community updated.’
The latest figures of the Ministry of Internal Affairs show that the number of refugees temporarily accommodated in hotels increased by 13 percent to 36 thousand 273 at the end of September.
