First Asylum Seekers to Be Relocated to Crowborough Barracks in East Sussex as Part of Ending Asylum Hotels
The Home Office plans to relocate the first group of asylum seekers to Crowborough barracks in East Sussex in January as part of its efforts to end the use of asylum hotels. Crowborough is set to house about 540 male asylum seekers. Alongside Inverness, these two camps are identified to accommodate about 900 people in total.
The move faces local opposition, including protests at Crowborough and a residents' group that has raised over £50,000 to fund a judicial review. The local council has also indicated that legal challenges are possible. The government emphasizes that it is working to close asylum hotels, accelerating delivery with more suitable sites, and collaborating with local authorities and partners to ease community pressure and reduce costs.
Labour leader Keir Starmer has pledged to end the use of hotel accommodation for asylum seekers by no later than the 2029 election. As of September, Home Office data indicates that 36,273 people were in temporary accommodation, representing a 13% increase since June.
Plans announced in December to move asylum seekers to Crowborough were delayed for safety checks after concerns such as legionella contamination on the Bibby Stockholm barge. On 16 December, the Home Office stated that no final decision had been made yet and that the Wealden council would receive one week's notice prior to arrivals.
Crowborough's proximity to the south coast makes it likely to house men arriving on small boats. Home Office staff are already on site, with preparations for the January relocation continuing.
