The Labour Party’s defense secretary, John Healey, has announced plans to increase the utilization of military barracks to expedite the closure of hotels housing asylum seekers. Discussions have taken place among defense leaders regarding the potential temporary accommodation of individuals arriving by small boats at Ministry of Defence sites. With mounting pressure on Keir Starmer to relocate people from hotels by 2029, the government is intensifying efforts to address the asylum situation inherited by the Labour Party.
Healey emphasized the need to enhance border control and restore public confidence in national security. Government departments have been directed to contribute towards accommodating individuals arriving via small boats in military or non-military facilities for swift processing. Anticipating forthcoming announcements from the government, Healey highlighted the ongoing efforts to manage the asylum system more effectively.
As of the end of June, approximately 32,000 individuals were being housed in hotels while their asylum claims were processed, a decrease from the previous administration’s figure of over 56,000. Newly appointed Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has been tasked with streamlining the process of relocating individuals from hotels well before the 2029 deadline. Labour aims to phase out the use of asylum hotels within the next four years, with Starmer expressing intentions to expedite this timeline.
Mahmood, recognized for her successful handling of the prisons crisis as Justice Secretary, is expected to announce measures to expand the utilization of military bases for housing asylum seekers. Currently, two former bases, MDP Wethersfeld in Essex and Napier Barracks in Folkestone, are being utilized for this purpose. Recent protests outside asylum hotels across the country have underscored escalating tensions, particularly following the arrest and conviction of an asylum seeker in Epping, Essex, for various serious offenses.