Asylum seekers to get Valentine’s Day playing cards made by youngsters – which will likely be delivered by a Green Party councillor and her grandchildren

A Green Party councillor is facing a backlash after announcing she will be delivering Valentine’s Day cards to asylum seekers – and taking her grandchildren with her. 

Anne Cross announced that she and her grandchildren had created cards and would take them to the controversial Crowborough Training Camp this weekend. 

The East Sussex County councillor encouraged locals to participate in upcoming volunteering opportunities and hear the stories of those in the camp.

‘There is nothing like getting to know people and hearing their stories in order to dispel fear,’ she said. 

‘My grandchildren and I painted some Valentine’s Cards at the weekend which we are going to be presenting to the men at Crowborough as a welcome.’

She went on to urge all the representatives of the local community to stand with ‘all those who share the love’.

Her remarks have sparked fury with Sussex Weald and Conservative MP Nus Ghani, who has lambasted the idea as ‘disturbing’.

Claiming there was ‘widespread concern locally’, she remarked that getting children to create Valentine’s Day cards for ‘single adult men’ was ‘highly irresponsible’ and suggested ‘no regard for safeguarding’.

The men in the camp arrived in Britain illegally.  

‘If they have time for that, then why don’t they [the council] have the time and the decency to meet local people,’ she told The Sun. 

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp described the initiative as ‘despicable’ and ‘asking for trouble’. 

Ms Cross has since defended her decision and insisted women and children would not be at risk from the camp’s residents. 

She said sending cards was a common practice among refugee charities and the cards would be sent ‘anonymously’ to welcome the men.  

‘There has been much misinformation about the men who will be housed in the camp and this has created a climate of fear,’ she told the publication. 

‘But there is no evidence children or women are at a higher risk from people seeking asylum than other sections of our society.’

The former army cadet training camp at Crowborough has been commandeered by the Home Office to accommodate up to 540 male migrants.

The camp will cost an extra £5.62m to police, it emerged last month. 

Katy Bourne, Police and Crime Commissioner for Sussex, said the money is needed to cover the anticipated costs of the policing operation – including community engagement, public order and investigations.  

Ms Bourne said the force will also need more equipment, vehicles and technology over the remainder of this financial year and in 2026/27.

She said the costing drawn up by Sussex Police is on the basis of Home Office assurances that the site will only be in use for 12 months.

Last week, furious locals marched through the town for the 14th consecutive weekend to protest migrants moving into the former army camp. 

Residents chanted for ‘deportation’ and carried signs vowing to push back against the arrival of asylum seekers.

Local groups vowed to ‘step up’ their demonstrations after the first of the migrants were moved into the barracks a few weeks ago.

Over the last few months, demonstrators have descended on Crowborough every Sunday to air their grievances against Labour’s plans for the cadet training camp.  

The Home Office has said the asylum seekers will be registered with a medic based inside the base, and will only use off-site services if they require additional treatment.

Last month, three people were taken into custody after protesters blocked a vehicle leaving the army camp.

Sussex Police said the arrests followed two incidents at the entrance to the East Sussex camp on Friday, January 23.

A force spokesman said: ‘The gathering was initially peaceful, however when a vehicle was leaving the site, three individuals were threatening and intimidatory.

‘The individuals caused an obstruction, shouted abuse, and struck the vehicle, alarming the driver and passengers.’