"ministers remain determined to use the barracks in Crowborough to house 540 male asylum seekers. Crowborough is one of two military camps identified by ministers to house 900 people the other being in Inverness. Officials had originally hoped to transfer people to the East Sussex barracks in the first week of December, but delayed the move to ensure the sites were safe and to avoid a fiasco such as when legionella was found on the Bibby Stockholm barge."
"On 16 December, the Home Office wrote to Wealden district council to say no decision had been made on Crowborough. The council has been reassured it will be given a week's notice before asylum seekers are sent to the site. It is understood that ministers and officials have already begun preparations for the first people to arrive in January. Crowborough is likely to be used to house men who have recently arrived on small boats because of its proximity to the south coast."
The Home Office plans to use Crowborough army training camp in East Sussex to house 540 male asylum seekers, as part of two military sites identified to accommodate 900 people, the other in Inverness. Temporary accommodation numbers have risen, with 36,273 people in September awaiting asylum decisions, a 13% increase since June. Transfers to the barracks were delayed for safety checks after concerns such as legionella on the Bibby Stockholm. Wealden district council was told no final decision had been made but will receive a week's notice; ministers are preparing for arrivals in January. Local protests and legal challenges are ongoing.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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