The British government is accelerating plans to use military barracks to house asylum seekers arriving in the country, as confirmed by a Downing Street spokesperson, who explained that initially former basetraining … Crowborough Militaryin East Sussex, England. The confirmation comes at a time when the country is recording more than 41,000 irregular arrivals across the Channel throughout 2025, and this decision is part of a broader reorganization of the accommodation system. Just last weekend 803 people crossed from France in 13 boatsa volume which increased the pressure on the Executive to reduce dependence on hotels and accelerate solutions deemed more stable.
The Prime Minister’s spokesman, when asked about the possibility of these figures falling next year, said the government cannot guarantee this, because “there is no single measure, no silver bullet, for a global problem that governments across Europe are trying to control”, and added that Keir Starmer’s executive “has left behind the tricks and failed policies” and is “taking serious and practical action with our partners to secure our borders, dismantle the gang business model and repair a crippled system.”
In this context, Downing Street considers the use of military installations as “an important element in the fight against illegal immigration”, and has confirmed that Crowborough will be activated in a few weeks, as soon as security and operational conditions allow.
540 men waiting
The base, historically used as an army training center, is among the sites selected to house 540 adult men awaiting resolution of their asylum applications. According to local press, Crowborough is one of two military camps identified by the government to house a total of 900 people, next to a property in Inverness, Scotland, as part of a plan whose stated aim is to close hotels that have temporarily housed thousands of applicants in recent years. The latest data from the Ministry of the Interior shows that in September there were 36,273 people in temporary accommodation, 13% more than in June, which, in the opinion of the Executive, shows the need to relocate part of this population to environments of greater capacity.
The government’s confirmation coincided with an intensification of local pushback in Wealden township, where Crowborough is located, and whose council had repeatedly asked the Home Office for detailed information about its plans. In a letter sent to the Government, the municipality expressed “very significant concerns that its decision and possible use of the land comes at a time when the local community should be focused on coming together and spending peaceful time with family”, referring to the sudden nature of the communication in the middle of the Christmas period and the potential impact on the town’s services and infrastructure.
The protests brought together some 3,000 people in different demonstrations and focused on concerns about the area’s capacity to absorb the arrival of several hundred men.
Neighborhood organization
Alongside institutional opposition, various resident organizations have launched actions to try to stop the project. Crowborough Shield, a neighborhood group set up specifically for this purpose, has raised more than £70,000 to fund a court appeal.
Its legal representatives alleged that the government had acted “illegally in promoting the project without planning permission, without community consultation and without due consideration of the site’s proximity to the Ashdown Forest Special Protection Area and Special Conservation Area”. The group director, Kim Baileysaid that the local population is experiencing the process with “fear and uncertainty” and assured that, in its opinion, “the barracks are inadequate to accommodate asylum seekers, many of whom will have fled conflict and trauma”, adding that “its location next to Ashdown Forest implies a risk of significant environmental damage”.
The protests brought together some 3,000 people in different demonstrations and focused on concern over the area’s capacity to absorb the arrival of several hundred men who, according to official plans, will be able to enter and leave the premises freely. Wealden council described the lack of communication from within as “terrible”, said it would “challenge any decision to use the camp if it is legally possible to do so”, and said it had sought advice from two specialist lawyers. The council also said it had issued a ‘planning contravention notice’, a formal notice used by local authorities to request information when they suspect planning legislation may have been breached.
On Dec. 16, according to Interior, he informed the city council that a final decision regarding Crowborough had not yet been made and that any transfers would be announced with one week’s notice.
However, it is now confirmed that preparations have already started so that the first people will arrive in January, although to date no definitive transfer schedule, no official assessment of the operational capacity of the base, a cost estimate or an analysis of the impact on public services in the area have been published. The Home Office said only that it was “working closely with local authorities, property partners and other ministries to accelerate implementation”.
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