After two episodes of unrest outside a former military facility repurposed to accommodate asylum seekers, three individuals have been apprehended. The disturbances occurred near the entrance of the Crowborough location in East Sussex, where a gathering took place on Friday. When a vehicle attempted to exit the premises, two men and a woman from the group engaged in threatening behavior, shouted insults, and obstructed the vehicle by hitting it, causing distress to the driver and passengers, as per a spokesperson from Sussex Police. These events followed the arrival of the initial group of 27 asylum seekers at the Crowborough training camp early on Thursday.
A 36-year-old man and a 62-year-old woman, both residents of Crowborough, along with a 54-year-old man from Newhaven, were detained on Saturday under suspicion of violating section 4a of the Public Order Act, confirmed the authorities. All three individuals are currently in custody.
Chief Superintendent James Collis emphasized that although the assembly started peacefully, a minority within the group resorted to threatening and intimidating actions towards individuals at the site entrance conducting lawful activities. The police are committed to maintaining safety in and around Crowborough and the camp, responding to any criminal behavior with decisive measures.
The decision to utilize the Crowborough training camp for asylum seekers has sparked community concerns, with ongoing opposition from local residents and the Wealden District Council, which is contemplating legal recourse against the accommodation plan. The Home Office intends to house up to 500 men at the site to phase out the use of asylum hotels, a move contested by various stakeholders.
Notably, the Labour party has pledged to discontinue asylum hotel usage by 2029, with government figures indicating a reduction in hotels housing migrants compared to previous years. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, tasked with expediting the closure of asylum hotels, has defended the military site accommodations as a pivotal step in achieving this goal.
The Crowborough site, announced alongside Cameron Barracks in Inverness last year for asylum seeker housing, maintains stringent security measures, including 24/7 surveillance and thorough resident screening. Previously utilized for Afghan evacuees in 2021, the Crowborough facility underscores the evolving landscape of asylum seeker accommodations in the UK.