Home Office cuts planned migrant capacity at RAF Barnham

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 23 Oct, 11:03 · Archive

The Home Office has reduced the number of asylum seekers planned for RAF Barnham near Thetford, Suffolk, from 1,250 to 931 under a revised planning application lodged in October. The Home Office said the reduction reflected an 'amended layout' linked to its ongoing assessment of the site.

The former RAF base was named in June as one of three Ministry of Defence sites that could house asylum seekers as the government moved away from hotel-based accommodation. Those housed would be exclusively men, predominantly single young men who arrived in the UK illegally. Under the plans, existing buildings would be converted and modular units brought in, alongside healthcare, welfare and staff facilities.

The site has faced widespread opposition, with protests outside the base since the Home Office announced it was considering the location. The Eastern Daily Press reports that the base currently has only 320 bed spaces with many units in disrepair, meaning over 600 beds would still need to be created. The site, a former munitions and nuclear weapons store, would require major upgrades to sewerage and utilities, with costs already running into millions for surveys, assessments and renovation work.

The government has previously stated intentions to begin moving migrants to the site before Christmas, though no final decision has been made. The other sites being considered for migrant accommodation include MoD Bicester in Oxfordshire and MoD Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire.

How it is being reported

• Home Office cuts Barnham migrant plans... but nearly 1,000 men could still move inThe Home Office has scaled back plans for RAF Barnham near Thetford, cutting asylum seeker numbers from 1,250 to 931 under a new application.Eastern Daily Press · 23 Oct, 10:45
• RAF Barnham to house fewer migrants in new plansThe Home Office says it revised a planning application based on "ongoing assessment of the site".BBC Norfolk · 23 Oct, 09:42

In this story: RAF Barnham · Thetford · Suffolk · Home Office · Ministry of Defence · Norfolk County Council · Norfolk and Suffolk Police

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