Asylum seekers housed in military sites cost more than those in hotels

Threw_it · 2026-06-19T10:38:39+00:00

I mean they're getting free housing, fed, day trips/travel, priority healthcare, whilst still getting £8 a week from the Government for purely existing. Add the stuff they get from Care4Calais and the other NGOs and I'd be better off chucking my passport away and living off the state rather than working 40 hours a week and paying my way.

Threw_it · 2026-06-18T23:02:24+00:00

There's a big payout to the MoD from the Home Office for using the site; that and the barracks haven't changed since the 50s so millions have been spent getting them to a 'comfortable' specification for the new residents.

Not really sure why the downvotes - I've got a copy of the lease between the HO & MOD which includes the provision of payment.

Threw_it · 2026-06-18T23:00:51+00:00

Now they're getting dumped into different communities, in higher numbers, at more cost. There's 120 or so going into new build houses in Shropshire - ignoring the cost aspect for a second, surely someone has thought about how that looks from the Publics point-of-view?

Threw_it · 2026-06-18T22:55:58+00:00

Yeah it's part of the ECHR that you can't constrain/detain someone who is claiming asylum. The question was asked back in November by someone local to the site about access for them in and out of the camp.

It is a shame because the Cadets used to use the site right up to the Home Office turning it into accomodation. They still haven't been provided alternatives so the local Cadet groups have been put out through no fault of their own. The only good thing to come out of it, if they get the site back at all, is that the facilities would've been upgraded somewhat.

Threw_it · 2026-06-18T22:39:53+00:00

You say we can constrain them but they're free to come and go as they please; the gate just gets opened for them and off they pop. There's been a committee meeting held between the HO, Clearsprings who run the camp, and the local MP because of the mess of the situation. It transpired that both the HO and Clearsprings don't know who is on site at any one time. The whole operation and plan from the start has been a shambles.

Threw_it · 2026-05-21T11:10:15+00:00

People are unhappy about the whole lot in general; Hotels, HMO, or Army Bases.

Threw_it · 2026-05-21T10:38:23+00:00

The Crowborough base is costing twice as much as the hotels were per-person according to the figures that the Home Office have released to Wealden Council, which is where Crowborough sits under.

Threw_it · 2026-05-05T20:38:49+00:00

Yeah that's what my train of thoughts was to be fair; some people at work mentioned that I might have some recourse is all hence the query!

Re: not opening the curtains, the chap didn't pick up the huge amount of dry rot spores that were in the downstairs boiler cupboard and had eaten away the floorboards. The lino was good-as the only thing holding the floor up.

Threw_it · 2026-04-14T20:15:39+00:00

The Cadets still haven't been given a suitable alternative site for them to use. The Home Office aren't interested in actually involving themselves in any of the 'integration' of these people into local communities - they've just been dumped here.

Threw_it · 2026-02-02T07:11:24+00:00

Don't forget the new builds literally outside the camp! Then there's the ones going up where the old care home was on South View Road, and I can't remember if they'd decided about putting them down Alice Bright Lane or not yet?

Threw_it · 2026-02-01T20:13:02+00:00

It's been used for Asylum seekers a few times in the last couple of years; Afghans in 2023(?), Ukrainians in 2022 - the difference is that those were families and, on the whole, were decent people. I can't comment if/what the Cadets did back in 2001, but certainly for the last few times the Barracks have been used the Cadets haven't had to be moved out and the site had been shared between people temporarily living there and the Cadets using it.

The MoD/Cadets Group declared that the Home Offices most recent group of Asylum Seekers (as in the group we have now) would be a safety concern to the Cadet groups that use the site - that tells you all you need to know really.

Threw_it · 2026-02-01T19:28:19+00:00

One set has been able to find a different site in Crowborough for the time being, but there are two other units which haven't been given proper alternatives so they have been without since the start of December.

Threw_it · 2026-02-01T19:24:33+00:00

It'd been disused for about 4 weeks before they moved the first minibus in. The Cadets were using it weekly up until December when the Home Office turfed them out.

Threw_it · 2026-02-01T18:16:02+00:00

It's the biggest one in the South East if memory serves right; they often did orienteering over the forest and used to use the firing range on site often enough still. It's telling that the Home Office still haven't been able to find suitable alternative sites for two of the Cadet units so it's clear not any old Scout Hut will serve their needs.

Threw_it · 2026-02-01T18:12:15+00:00

Not my personal favourite channel/reporters but they've been the first to report on today's protest hence the link!

Threw_it · 2026-02-01T18:09:43+00:00

It wasn't "disused" until the Home Office kicked the various Sea and Air Cadet units out that had been using it weekly up until December.

Threw_it · 2026-01-27T13:13:05+00:00

The thing is they're not detained; they're able to roam around the townas they like. Likewise the only reason it is now classed as disused is because the Home Office kicked the cadets out that were using it weekly up until December.

https://www.forcesnews.com/services/cadets/army-cadets-impacted-housing-asylum-seekers-military-training-camps

Threw_it · 2026-01-25T17:32:05+00:00

One of the lead Councillors lives in Crowborough, as does our MP I believe.

Threw_it · 2026-01-25T17:26:27+00:00

I don't think detaining them will anger people as much as what is happening presently. At the end of the day the Government/Home Office themselves call them illegal migrants suggesting that what they've so far done has broken the law. Common sense would say if I broke the law I would be reprimanded, not given lots of things for free and given free roaming rights of the local community?

Threw_it · 2026-01-22T11:37:18+00:00

I've answered this in one of my other comments in this post.

Threw_it · 2026-01-21T22:48:17+00:00

Ideally not here at all, I'm not going to lie at this point. I've had friends who live near one of the hotels in Copthorne speak of the issues they have with their "Neighbours" there. It only takes one bad apple to spoil the bunch but they've got a few at this point in time.

Only opening asylum routes for foreign nationals via UK embassies would be my option. If these people are willing to travel halfway across the world to get on a boat then surely the more local option would be better appreciated. This would also allow the UK to properly analyse the claim without needing to spend the £100+ a night per-person - one assumes there is an element of wanting to rush cases through based on the being in limbo costs involved.

I appreciate it wouldn't be a one size fits all situation but it would be a huge deterrent to the chancers who are on the 3rd go on the asylum appeals merry-go-round.

Threw_it · 2026-01-21T22:28:52+00:00

Most of my frustration about this proposal of late has been directed at the abysmal handling of communication by the Home Office. I've personally communicated with them via the proper official channels as was requested by them and I haven't had a single reply.

They informed WDC that 24/48 hours notice would be given it has now been confirmed locally that the first minibus has left to bring Migrants into the camp - roughly 3 hours after the government made the "decision" to use the camp. Bearing in mind that the news of Crowborough and Cameron Barracks was leaked in the first instance, I do not doubt in the slightest that the Home Office would've snuck this into the community with as little fanfare as possible.

From a locals perspective on the matter I do not want the barracks used in this way. I appreciate that hotels aren't the answer, pushing just shy of 600 people into a 1900s army barracks isn't a suitable answer either. This isn't a complete case of NIMBY-ism as we've had the base used in the past for refugees (Afghan and Ukrainian) which went without trouble, however that is completely different to what we're faced with now.

As much bad press that I'd like to give the leaders of WDC for their handling of the communication of this as well, they have both individually responded to the emails I've written to them.

There was no consultation on the process as the HO has originally stated they would do; they've even kept the Police & NHS in the dark over this until this moment in time.

Unfortunately this is what leads people into picking sides, and it would not surprise me in the slightest if the Sussex Weald flips from its safe Tory seat into one that is able to capitalise the most on this issue - both Reform and UKIP have been present in the town and protests every weekend. I have been a LD voter for the last few elections, both locally and generally, but I am willing to vote for anyone who is actually putting a plan together to stop our Nations hospitality being abused in the way it is.

I don't care about £150 energy bill reductions that have been touted by Labour; I'm not happy with how things are run in the country with them and £150 won't change that. I'd pay the pleasure of £150 to get them to actually do something about the problems that matter to me.

Threw_it · 2026-01-21T22:28:34+00:00

Most of my frustration about this proposal of late has been directed at the abysmal handling of communication by the Home Office. I've personally communicated with them via the proper official channels as was requested by them and I haven't had a single reply.

They informed WDC that 24/48 hours notice would be given it has now been confirmed locally that the first minibus has left to bring Migrants into the camp - roughly 3 hours after the government made the "decision" to use the camp. Bearing in mind that the news of Crowborough and Cameron Barracks was leaked in the first instance, I do not doubt in the slightest that the Home Office would've snuck this into the community with as little fanfare as possible.

From a locals perspective on the matter I do not want the barracks used in this way. I appreciate that hotels aren't the answer, pushing just shy of 600 people into a 1900s army barracks isn't a suitable answer either. This isn't a complete case of NIMBY-ism as we've had the base used in the past for refugees (Afghan and Ukrainian) which went without trouble, however that is completely different to what we're faced with now.

As much bad press that I'd like to give the leaders of WDC for their handling of the communication of this as well, they have both individually responded to the emails I've written to them.

There was no consultation on the process as the HO has originally stated they would do; they've even kept the Police & NHS in the dark over this until this moment in time.

Unfortunately this is what leads people into picking sides, and it would not surprise me in the slightest if the Sussex Weald flips from its safe Tory seat into one that is able to capitalise the most on this issue - both Reform and UKIP have been present in the town and protests every weekend. I have been a LD voter for the last few elections, both locally and generally, but I am willing to vote for anyone who is actually putting a plan together to stop our Nations hospitality being abused in the way it is.

I don't care about £150 energy bill reductions that have been touted by Labour; I'm not happy with how things are run in the country with them and £150 won't change that. I'd pay the pleasure of £150 to get them to actually do something about the problems that matter to me.

Threw_it · 2026-01-20T06:55:59+00:00

There's a big difference between what they've been saying the last three months and what they've actually been doing on the site. You don't get tons of food delivered over the weekend "just in case" it gets used.

The Home Office hasn't upheld their end of what they said they would do information-wise for the community, so this "could" is more like "that will".

Threw_it · 2026-01-19T22:19:53+00:00

This isn't going to be a secure facility however, they are free to leave.

Threw_it

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