Campaigners have accused the UK Government of a “betrayal” after court documents revealed proposals to continue housing hundreds of migrants in a Sussex town for as long as four more years.
The former cadet training centre in Crowborough was taken over by the Home Office earlier this year, and asylum seekers have since started moving onto the site despite strong opposition from local residents.
Locals were initially assured the military site would accommodate about 500 asylum seekers for just 12 months.
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MSN reports: But documents disclosed in legal proceedings show the Home Office has asked the Ministry of Defence for permission to keep using the site until 2030. Kim Bailey, co-chair of campaign group Crowborough Shield, said the revelation confirmed what locals had feared from the start.
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She said: “It is a betrayal. We’ve always known that this was never going to be for 12 months, but she always intended to use it for a lot longer.
“They’ve just confirmed permission until 2030. Chances are it’s gonna go on for a lot longer than that.”
The row centres on the former military site on the edge of Ashdown Forest, where the Government plans to house up to 600 asylum seekers alongside around 185 staff.
Wealden District Council said details of the proposed extension emerged in court papers linked to an ongoing legal battle over the site.
In a statement, the council said the development came “despite repeated promises from the Government and the Home Office Minister Alex Norris MP that the camp was only temporary and would be open for no longer than 12 months”.
Rachel Millward, Green Party leader of Wealden District Council, accused ministers of leaving residents in the dark.
She said: “Everyone round here is wearily familiar with the Home Office’s inability to make a decision.
“People whose lives are directly affected by that are left guessing.
“Why can’t the minister have the courage to tell it how it is and outline a plan, instead of hidden conversations behind closed doors?”
She added: “The entire project has been disastrously handled by the Home Office with a shocking lack of communication.”
The Home Office confirmed no final decision has yet been made and said use of the site remained under review.
An earlier application for judicial review against the migrant camp was rejected by the courts in March, but Crowborough Shield is now attempting a second legal challenge and raising funds to continue the fight.
Ms Bailey said the case now stretched far beyond the East Sussex town itself.
She claimed” “Shabana Mahmood has said that Crowborough was just the first.
“She’s going to bring forward site after site, so it’s really important that we continue with this judicial review, because it doesn’t just affect Crowborough. It affects the entire country.”
The campaign group has repeatedly argued the Government used emergency powers to push the scheme through without proper scrutiny or consultation.
In an interview with the Express earlier this year, Ms Bailey described the camp as a “simulated war zone” and accused ministers of trying to “bully” communities into accepting large-scale asylum accommodation.
