Thousands march in Crowborough over asylum plan for former military camp | Immigration and asylum

Thousands of people marched through a market town in East Sussex to protest UK government plans to house refugees at a former military site.

Crowds of men, women and children marched into Crowborough from the base, where the Home Office plans to house up to 500 male refugees as part of plans to end the use of hotels for the same purpose.

While many people from the town and the surrounding area were among those attending, far-right activists and groups from other parts of the UK also tried to make their presence felt in what was the latest and largest demonstration of its kind in the region.

The plans faced strong opposition in the town after the first asylum seekers were moved in last week as a test case for the emerging government policy.

Crowborough Shield, which describes itself as a non-political, voluntary group of residents, is leading a legal case against the plans and joined the march. He accused Home Affairs Minister Shabana Mahmood of “threatening” the town and other places across the country with plans for shelter housing.

Among the union jacks and Saint George flags, those marching from another part of Sussex included Lynn Hall, who described herself as a “commonly anxious mother of two”.

“I’m really emotional about it because this was a site used by young students and now they’re the ones being displaced,” he told the Guardian. “People here have real concerns about this, and it’s about the unaccompanied young men who will be living here. I’m not strict, I’m not political and I don’t want to be against anyone, but I feel strong.”

Like other members of the crowd, Hall was carrying a flag emblazoned with the logo of Advance UK, a far-right political party founded by former MP Ben Habib after leaving Reform UK and which has the support of far-right activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, aka Tommy Robinson. Hall was surprised to be told this and added that he was unaware of the band’s history.

Earlier, taking turns behind a “Crowborough says no” banner during Sunday morning’s march was Callum Barker, a former activist for the far-right Homeland party and organizer of protests outside the Bell Hotel in Essex over the summer.

Also present were activists from the Operation Raise the Color movement; These included those banned by French authorities last week for plans to carry out activities off the coast of France.

The march snaked through the former military base; Helen and the lawyer passed the house of John Tate, a former senior civil servant at the Home Office and deputy parliamentary ombudsman. “As far as the Ministry of Internal Affairs is concerned, we have no say in the matter. The local MP [Nusrat Ghani] “He tried to do his best by organizing meetings, but he was successful,” he said.

However, his wife said that she would attend the march due to her knee problem. “I think it’s a good thing because it really shows the extent of local opposition,” she said, although both she and her husband were concerned that the presence of far-right activists could “exacerbate” the situation.

Approximately 27 men have been housed in the camp so far. Crowborough, along with Cameron Barracks at Inverness in the Scottish Highlands, is one of two military sites the government announced last year it would use to house refugees.

Marchers followed behind a banner that featured a techno-sounding car carrying a cross and bearing right-wing slogans, as well as images of three teenage girls killed in Southport. The crowd chanted “Keir Starmer is a scumbag” and in some cases “Keir Starmer is a traitor”.

According to Sussex Police, no arrests had yet been made on Sunday. Divisional Officer James Collis said: “We know that the use of Crowborough training camp to house asylum seekers has caused concern in the community. Our police presence in and around Crowborough has been increased to provide a clear point of contact for public engagement and reassurance.”

Three people were arrested following chaos outside Crowborough camp on Saturday. A 36-year-old man and a 62-year-old woman from Crowborough and a 54-year-old man from Newhaven were detained on suspicion of an offense under the Public Order Act.

During a visit to Crowborough on Thursday, the home secretary vowed to “vigorously” defend any legal challenge amid reports that local authority Wealden district council was also considering action. “I understand the strength of emotion, but I also believe that getting out of asylum hotels is absolutely crucial for the country,” Mahmood told broadcasters.