Home Secretary Reveals Where Thousands of Asylum Seekers Could Soon Be Housed Instead of Hotels, Saying: “It Will Be Their Future Home”

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has said that old military bases will play a major role in the Government’s future plans for housing asylum seekers, describing them as a better long-term solution than relying on hotels.

While speaking to the House of Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee, Ms Mahmood explained that Labour believes former armed forces sites can provide a more practical way to accommodate asylum seekers. She said these large sites make it easier for the Government to bring together essential services such as healthcare, security and support in one location, rather than spreading people across hotels and other temporary accommodation.

She told the committee that military bases are “the future for asylum accommodation” and said they are a key part of the Government’s strategy to end the use of asylum hotels before the next general election.

As part of this plan, the Home Office is seeking permission to convert three former military sites into accommodation for up to 3,750 asylum seekers. The proposed locations include the former RAF base at Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire, MoD Bicester in Oxfordshire, and RAF Barnham in Suffolk. RAF Barnham was once used as a secret storage site for nuclear weapons during the Cold War but has been unused for years.

The Government also plans to increase the number of asylum seekers housed at two existing Ministry of Defence sites currently being used for accommodation. These expansions would create room for another 1,750 people, while the leases for both sites would be extended for up to four more years.

However, the plans have already sparked strong opposition from many local communities. Existing asylum sites at Wethersfield in Essex and Crowborough in Sussex have faced repeated protests from residents who say the facilities have placed pressure on local services and changed the character of their communities.

People living near the three newly proposed sites have also raised serious concerns. Campaign groups have threatened legal action, arguing that former military bases are not suitable places to house such large numbers of asylum seekers.

One of the most controversial proposals is the former RAF base at Linton-on-Ouse. Plans to use the site as an asylum centre were abandoned by the previous Conservative government in 2022 after strong local opposition and a successful legal challenge brought by the local council. Local leaders have now indicated they may once again challenge Labour’s plans through the courts, saying every legal option remains available.

Opposition has also grown in Barnham, a small Suffolk village with a population of only around 580 people. The village is known for its quiet countryside, traditional thatched cottages and peaceful atmosphere. It has no local pub or village shop, and many residents believe it lacks the infrastructure to cope with such a significant increase in population.

Under the Government’s proposal, up to 1,250 single male asylum seekers could be housed at the former RAF Barnham site. Residents say this would more than triple the size of the village almost overnight. Many have voiced concerns about pressure on local roads, healthcare, schools and emergency services. Others have expressed worries about antisocial behaviour, the safety of women and children, and the possible impact on house prices.

Among those raising concerns is 23-year-old Callum Banthorpe, who bought his first home in Barnham for £180,000 earlier this year. He said the village simply does not have the facilities needed to support such a large increase in population, adding that there is not enough local infrastructure to deal with an extra 1,250 people.

Despite the growing criticism, Ms Mahmood said the Government has already made significant progress in reducing its reliance on asylum hotels. According to her, the number of hotels being used has fallen from around 400 at its highest point to about 170 today.

She also said the number of asylum seekers staying in hotels has dropped by almost one-third. By the end of March, just under 21,000 people were living in asylum hotels, compared with more than 30,700 at the end of December.

The Home Secretary said she remains confident that the Government is on track to fulfil its promise of ending the use of asylum hotels by the end of this Parliament, with former military bases expected to become one of the main alternatives under Labour’s long-term asylum accommodation strategy.