The Home Office has confirmed that the first group of asylum seekers has been relocated to a former military training site in East Sussex.
Twenty-seven men seeking asylum have arrived at the Crowborough training camp, which is expected to eventually accommodate more than 500 people. The government said the move marks the beginning of efforts to phase out the use of costly asylum hotels.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood described the relocation as part of the government’s wider strategy to reduce asylum costs and tackle illegal migration.
She said Crowborough would be the first of several large sites to be opened, adding that the aim was to close all remaining asylum hotels and return them to community use.
According to the Home Office, more than 400 hotels were used to house asylum seekers under the previous government at a cost of around £9m a day. Fewer than 200 hotels are now in use, with overall asylum spending down by 15%.
The move has sparked opposition locally. Wealden District Council leader James Partridge said using the Crowborough site was the wrong decision but urged residents to respond constructively. He called for community unity, similar to the support shown to Afghan and Ukrainian arrivals, while confirming the council was exploring possible legal action.Plans for the site, first announced last year, have faced repeated protests.
Some residents have raised concerns about safety and pressure on local services, while others have called for compassion.
A residents’ group, Crowborough Shield, has launched a legal challenge against the plans, accusing the Home Secretary of ignoring community concerns. Meanwhile, Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp criticised the move, claiming it displaced army and RAF cadets who previously used the site for training.
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