The government plans to house asylum seekers at a military training camp in East Sussex – but campaigners fear its proximity to a police firearms test centre could be re-traumatising
Asylum seekers fleeing war zones could be “re-traumatised” if housed near a police firearms test centre, campaigners say.
The government recently announced plans to temporarily accommodate 600 people at a military training camp on the outskirts of Crowborough, East Sussex. But the site sits just 1.2 miles from Sussex Police Training Centre, Kingstanding, which activists claim is used for firearms, taser and police dog drills.
Last night Nicola David of One Life to Live, who campaigns against large-scale containment sites for asylum seekers, said: “Any sounds of shooting would be audible from Crowborough Training Camp – this is highly likely to be retraumatising for asylum-seekers fleeing war, conflict and persecution. Part of the dog training is seeking out explosives. It is not known whether this might ever involve detonations – again, that would be retraumatising.”
Tim Naor Hilton, Chief Executive of Refugee Action, said: “Large military camps are never safe or appropriate accommodation sites for people seeking safety. In their recent report, the Home Affairs Committee has warned the government of high risk of suicide and harm in these sites.
“People’s proximity to audible explosions will inevitably increase this harm and retraumatise those who have escaped persecution and conflict. The government must stop wasting time and money on knee-jerk ideas for refugees and focus on fixing a national housing emergency that affects all people in our towns. We need a long-term plan to invest in communities to build and buy more social homes, and properly fund councils to deliver housing for all people in need, including people seeking asylum.”
Nathan Phillips, head of campaigns at Asylum Matters, added: “Everyone deserves to be housed in a community, not a camp, and the sound of gunfire and explosions are just one of the many ways that accommodation at Crowborough is utterly unsuitable for people seeking sanctuary.”
They hit out just days after the Home Office’s director of asylum accommodation apologised for failing to provide enough detail on the Crowborough plans. At a meeting in the village on Monday, Andrew Larter told concerned locals and councillors that housing asylum seekers at the site would cost roughly the same as hotels, but said the digs would be “more spartan” and “less comfortable.”
He added the camp – with capacity for around 540 people – would be “as self-contained as possible”, including health and recreational facilities. He said ministers are in the process of completing a community impact assessment to make sure the site was “safe, legal and compliant”.
Worries have been raised about staffing at the camp, police provision, the additional strain on public services and public safety. Last week hundreds of people waving flags and armed with placards attended a protest against the plans, and Wealden District Council said it was considering legal options.
Campaigners previously raised concerns about safety on the site. Conversation Over Borders, which works with refugees and asylum seekers, warned housing people at the military base risked “human rights failures” and could “waste taxpayers’ money,” adding: “Everyone seeking safety deserves a place to call home without being isolated or retraumatised.” Steve Smith, of Care4Calais, said: “From my point of view, shovelling people into former barracks is not the best use of money and for those seeking asylum.”
The Home Office previously said military sites would deliver better outcomes for taxpayers and reduce the impact on communities. Labour has pledged to stop using hotels before the next election. A Sussex Police spokesperson said: “Kingstanding is a police training site used by Sussex and Surrey police forces as well as a number of other agencies. For operational reasons, we are not able to provide any further information regarding the site.”
The government was approached for comment.