Thousands march against Crowborough asylum seeker plan

Organizers have said around 4,000 people have taken part in a demonstration against government plans to hold asylum seekers at a military site in East Sussex.

Protesters protest against now-delayed Home Office plans to temporarily house 540 male asylum seekers at an army training camp on the outskirts of Crowborough.

Earlier, participants, including families with children, walked from the former barracks to the city centre, waving banners and shouting slogans.

The Home Office said it was postponing the arrival of asylum seekers but would continue to “accelerate plans” to move people to the site when it is fully operational and safe.

Organizers said similar protests have taken place in the city in recent weeks, with Sunday’s march drawing the largest crowd so far.

He said Crowborough, which has a population of about 20,000, was too small to house the hundreds of asylum seekers in the community.

The government proposal was first announced in October.

The local authority, Wealden District Council, had previously passed a motion formally opposing it and said it had served a planning breach notice against the Home Office.

In a statement, the Home Office said it did not want to repeat the mistakes of the past, “where hasty planning has led to unsafe and chaotic situations that impact the local community”.

A spokesperson said: “We are angry at the level of illegal immigrants and asylum hotels.

“Removing major military sites is an important part of our reforms to tackle illegal migration and the factors that make the UK an attractive destination.”