First asylum seekers moved into Crowborough former military site

The first asylum seekers have been housed in a former military site in East Sussex, the Home Office has confirmed.

It said on Thursday 27 people seeking asylum were moved into the Crowborough training camp, which will be scaled up to more than 500.

The government said the move is part of its “mission to end the use of expensive hotels”.

There have been frequent protests against the plans.

The plans were first announced last year but had been put on hold.

Wealden District Council leader James Partridge said housing asylum seekers at the site was the “wrong decision”.

But he added: “We do need to make the best of it”.

Partridge called on the community to come together “in the way we did when the Afghan families and Ukrainian refugees arrived”.

“Crowborough is just the start,” said Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood.

“I will bring forward site after site until every asylum hotel is closed and returned to local communities.”