Home Office busses first migrants into military camp below the duvet of darkness – because it goes forward with plan bid to deal with 540 male asylum seekers there regardless of protests
The first group of migrants have arrived at an army camp overnight -as the Home Office pushes ahead with plans to house 540 male asylum seekers at the barracks.
The migrants were driven in via a 16-seater coach in the early hours of Thursday morning, it is understood.
The Home Office has since confirmed that 27 migrants have been moved into the site, where they will be housed for up to three months while their asylum claim is processed.
It follows months of furious protests from locals, who have marched through the Sussex town every Sunday since the plans were announced in October.
The plans were introduced as part of a government bid to end the use of asylum hotels.
The coach, alongside a police escort, was allegedly driven into the camp amid heavy rain just after 3am this morning.
A large police presence has remained at the camp on Thursday morning. The coach was hired from a firm based near Gatwick airport.
The site accommodates single adult male illegal migrants who are claiming asylum in the UK.
Local councillor James Partridge confirmed last night that he had been contacted by Home Office minister Alex Norris.
A blacked-out mini van with a police escort driven into a migrant camp in the early hours of Thursday morning
A large police presence has remained at the camp on Thursday morning
Beds at the Crowborough Training Camp now housing male asylum seekers
A shower the Crowborough military barracks that is now being used to house migrants
The outside of an interview suite at Crowborough Training Camp, East Sussex
The outside of one of the buildings at the Crowborough training camp for migrants
The decision to start moving migrants into the army camp is unlawful, campaigners said.
Chair of the Crowborough Shield campaign Kim Bailey said group are hoping to get an injunction following the decision to house migrants at the camp.
In a statement, she said: ‘We will be considering with our legal team the possibility of obtaining an injunction to prevent occupation (or further occupation) of the site and in any event will be continuing our judicial review which the Home Secretary has shamefully failed to properly participate in.
‘The hopelessly inadequate, dishonest and biased Screening Direction that has had to be issued to support the Home Secretary’s decision, clearly supports our case that this entire scheme is unlawful.
‘We intend to continue to pursue the Home Secretary to judgment.’
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: ‘Illegal migration has been placing immense pressure on communities.
‘That is why we are removing the incentives that draw illegal migrants to Britain, closing asylum hotels that are blighting communities.
‘Crowborough is just the start. I will bring forward site after site until every asylum hotel is closed and returned to local communities.
‘I will not rest until order and control to our borders is restored.’
