The Government has confirmed that hundreds of asylum seekers will be moved into Crowborough Army Camp in the next month.
Just a few weeks after Crowborough News reported that businesses based on the Pippingford Park site had been asked to move out, the Home Office confirmed yesterday (Monday, 27 Oct) that Crowborough would be one of two military sites to be used for asylum seeking men as alternatives to hotels.
The news came as MPs criticised the Home Office which, they said, had “squandered” billions of pounds of taxpayers’ money on asylum accommodation.
The Home Office said it was “furious” and it would close every asylum hotel – providing more suitable sites being brought forward to ease pressure on communities and cut asylum costs.
Other options being considered include military and industrial sites, temporary facilities and disused accommodation, and officials have been ordered to accelerate work identifying alternatives.
It is not the first time Crowborough Army Camp has been used as a temporary solution. In recent years it provided accommodation for Afghan nationals who had assisted the UK Govt during the Afghan conflict and had to be moved out of the country for their safety.
The Home Office has not yet provided any details of what services or infrastructure will be provided to support the hundreds of male asylum seekers who will be moved into Crowborough. However, asylum seekers with an active application are entitled to access NHS services. Most, though, do not have the right to work.
Concerns have been raised about the standard of accommodation on the site and its suitability for housing large groups of people. But the Ministry of Defence has said that while the site “is not “luxury accommodation by any means” it is “adequate for what is required”. The Government says it meets health and safety standards.
The camp, in Pippingford Park and on land owned by the Ministry of Defence, is used mainly as a temporary training camp, especially by cadet forces from various parts of the country. It contains barrack accommodation for up to 1,200 people and also includes various firing ranges, and training facilities. It is not secure.
Crowborough camp can trace is origins back to the early part of the 20th century when the area surrounding Crowborough Town and the Ashdown Forest were taken over by the War Office during the 1st World War. Crowborough camp was established and used extensively during the war, originally as a tented camp.
During World War 1 the Canadian Army moved in and established itself in and around Crowborough establishing the Machine Gun School here. The areas around Crowborough Camp were used extensively to accommodate and training prior to the D Day invasion in 1944, by a number of military units.
For more information visit:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/asylum-applicants-rights-and-responsibilities/asylum-applicants-rights-and-responsibilities