Story perspectives

Government Places 3,750 Asylum Seekers in Bases, Sparking Backlash

6/26/2026

Summary

Home Office Housing

Home Office uses RAF Linton-on-Ouse, MOD Bicester and RAF Barnham to house 3,750 asylum seekers.
Leader Carl Les said the announcement came without prior discussion and called it disappointing.
Border security and asylum minister Alex Norris said 20 more asylum hotels have closed, halving since the September 2023 peak of 56,018.
MP Sir Alec Shelbrooke and councillor Malcolm Taylor warned the village lacks utilities and services for the proposed residents.

Summary

Home Office Repurposes

Home Office has applied to convert RAF Barnham, a former Suffolk nuclear weapons storage site, into asylum-seeker housing.
In the Cold War the site stored nuclear weapons in underground facilities.
Curator Maggie Aggiss of Wattisham Airfield Museum said the work was largely unknown to locals.
Officials say repurposing historic defence sites provides a longer-term solution than temporary hotel housing, after protests revived debate.

History

Historical Context

After the 1991 Soviet collapse, the U.S. Base Realignment and Closure process eliminated over 350 installations, illustrating a broader post-Cold-War trend of converting former military airfields to civilian use. Britain’s Ministry of Defence now faces proposals to house asylum seekers at a former RAF airfield, a plan criticised by local MPs.

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Home Office Housing

Home Office uses RAF Linton-on-Ouse, MOD Bicester and RAF Barnham to house 3,750 asylum seekers.
Leader Carl Les said the announcement came without prior discussion and called it disappointing.
Border security and asylum minister Alex Norris said 20 more asylum hotels have closed, halving since the September 2023 peak of 56,018.
MP Sir Alec Shelbrooke and councillor Malcolm Taylor warned the village lacks utilities and services for the proposed residents.

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