Asylum seekers at MoD site to be 'single adult males'

A former military base would provide accommodation for 1,250 "single adult male" asylum seekers, according to information published by the Home Office.

It states that those living at the site in Bicester, Oxfordshire, would be men "between the ages of 18 and 65 who have applied for asylum".

It comes after the government announced plans last week to use three more military sites to house asylum seekers as it seeks to move people out of hotels.

Tim McNally, chair of Piddington Parish Council, one of the villages closest to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) site, said he was "more concerned than before" and that residents were "taking a hit on behalf of the United Kingdom".

The announcement sparked criticism from the district council and human rights groups as well as the Lib Dem Bicester and Woodstock MP Calum Miller, with residents also describing their 'shock' upon hearing the news.

The factsheet published online on Tuesday by the Home Office said the site would provide "basic, safe accommodation" and would be designed to be "largely self‑sufficient to minimise any impact on the local community".

If approved, it would be used for a minimum of ten years to house about 1,250 asylum seekers - all of whom are meant to have had mandatory security checks linking their biometric data to immigration, security, and criminality databases.

This would include a provisional 270 asylum seekers expected to be housed at the site by the end of 2026, according to a letter sent to service personnel at the base.

Miller voiced his concerns over the plans last week and said: "I've literally no idea how the government thinks that can be absorbed into the community."

McNally said that women and children in his community would "have to adapt their lives to accommodate these men".

Asylum seekers would not be detained but if they wished to leave the site would follow a sign-in-sign-out process.

The Home Office also said the site would be monitored by CCTV and 24/7 security and would be self-contained, with essential services including laundry facilities and a communal area provided to reduce the impact on local services.

McNally said residents had met to discuss "conditions" they will "demand need to be met".

Unlike previous planning applications to house asylum seekers at MoD Bicester, the decision to grant permission would come at national level.

The government says it would address the concerns of those most impacted by the site and identify ways to keep them informed.

Two former military sites - RAF Wethersfield in Essex, and Crowborough Training Camp in East Sussex - are already being used to house asylum seekers.

Labour has pledged to stop using hotels, a costly form of accommodation that has become a focal point for anti-migrant protests.

As of March this year, 20,885 (21%) asylum seekers were in hotels and 72,768 (75%) were in other accommodation as they awaited decisions.

It was announced last week that a further 20 hotels had closed to asylum seekers - including the Oxford Witney Hotel.