Asylum minister admits failings over Crowborough

1 hour ago

Lucinda Adamand

Nathan Bevan,South East

News image — The camp was picked as part of a government push to phase out using expensive asylum hotels

BBC A brick building. It is surrounded by barbed wire. The sky is clear and blue. — The camp was picked as part of a government push to phase out using expensive asylum hotels

The asylum minister has admitted failings over how the Crowborough military training camp was set up to temporarily house up to 540 male asylum seekers.

Plans for the site in East Sussex have divided the local community since they were first announced last October.

As he was questioned by MPs on Tuesday, Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Alex Norris, said he "deeply regretted" how things had played out.

With the Home Office having been blamed for a breakdown in communication on the issue, Norris said: "We failed on Crowborough and the failure is mine."

The minister told the Home Affairs Committee: "I've had along time to think about this and I regret deeply that parliamentary colleagues and council leaders found out through the news rather than from me and other senior officials about what was taking place.

"That shouldn't have happened and it won't happen in the case of future sites," Norris said.

But, while accepting that the Home Office had not got things right "in the initial stages" of setting up the camp, he added that he didn't agree with what critics, such as Wealden District Council (WDC), had said "about the process since".

"WDC, along with the local community, have quite rightly wanted to know more at every point," said Norris.

"But, while I appreciate there's a desire for an update daily, there isn't always more to tell."

He added that he "strongly defends there being one single version of the truth, told candidly from the government to the public".

Stuart Brock/Anadolu/Getty People gathered outside the Crowborough Army Camp in East Sussex waving flags and holding banners during a protest against the UK Home Office's plan. Protestesters wave union jack flags and one holds a placard which reads "Crowborough STILL says no". — The move has divided the local community from the start

A spokesperson for WDC said: "We recognise the significant national challenge of accommodating asylum seekers and the pressures this places on government to find solutions.

"However, the lack of timely information, engagement and clear operational planning from the Home Office has made the situation more difficult for the council, local community and partner agencies to manage.

"This approach continues to contribute to uncertainty and increased tension locally, which could be mitigated with earlier and more open communication," they added.

WDC also recently said it had "uncovered details in court papers that two government departments have agreed between themselves to allow" the camp an option of remaining open until 2030, "despite repeated promises from the government it would be open for no longer than 12 months.

The council said it would "continue to call for a more coordinated and transparent approach from the Home Office".

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