A Labour government plan to house 600 young men at an army training camp near an East Sussex town brought 2000 residents onto the streets in protest on Sunday, November 16th.
Crowborough (pop. 21,688) is scheduled to see asylum seekers housed in a currently disused army training camp on its outskirts. The move has been condemned by the local authority, Wealden District Council.
Sussex Police noted a planned peaceful protest on its patch Sunday morning, with no arrests made. Slogans used included “Starmer Out” and “Crowborough Says No!” In response, the Home Office told the BBC:
Public safety remains our first priority…. We are working closely with local authorities, property partners and the local community as we transition away from using hotels.
While the presence of a sex offender who targeted children at the Bell in Epping helped to focus public concerns on migrant hotels, shifting the men to other, less financially costly locations is also proving unpopular.
