UK Government Proposes Former Military Sites for Asylum Seeker Housing

Home Office earmarked three Ministry of Defence sites—RAF Linton-on-Ouse (North Yorkshire), a former barracks in Bicester (Oxfordshire) and RAF Barnham (Suffolk-Norfolk)—to house up to 3,750 asylum seekers, pending planning approval.

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A 2022 Linton-on-Ouse plan was scrapped after opposition. The proposal adds two sites, expands RAF Wethersfield and closes 20 asylum hotels. By March, hotel occupancy fell 35 % to 20,885. Hotel costs average £170 per person per night, with £2.1 billion spent in the 2025 financial year. The Home Office invested £3 million in works at Linton-on-Ouse and signed a £32.8 million Serco contract.

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A Home Office spokesperson said the shift will cut “pull factors” that encourage illegal arrivals and that economies of scale make ex-military sites cheaper than hotels, calling it an “important step” to end the perception that entry leads to hotel accommodation.

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Linton-on-Ouse (?700) residents cite flood-prone land, inadequate sewage, power capacity and decayed 1940s buildings as reasons 1,200 new arrivals are unfeasible. Council leader Carl Les called the scheme “the wrong proposal in the wrong location.” In Bicester, MP Calum Miller questioned how a community could absorb 1,250 asylum seekers when the nearest village has 370 residents. MP Terry Jermy warned of “lack of transparency and engagement.” Professor Olga Matthias and Laila Goodridge said technical, ethical and humanitarian concerns remain unchanged and refurbishment costs would be “astronomically” high.

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• “To call it a plan is too grand: they don’t know what they are doing, they haven’t thought it through and they haven’t even had the decency to consult local people about it, which tells you just about everything you need to know about the state of chaos they are in.” — Sir Keir Starmer

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• “Put simply, those factors have not changed at all and in some instances, such as the condition of the buildings, have deteriorated further.” — Professor Olga Matthias

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• “Terry Jermy, the MP for South West Norfolk, said he would be “strongly objecting” to the proposals and accused the Home Office of a “lack of transparency and engagement”.” — Terry Jermy

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• “We are closing every asylum hotel and moving asylum seekers into basic accommodation including ex-military sites. This is an important step in ending the perception you can arrive in the UK illegally and be put up in a hotel.” — Home Office spokesperson

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Planning applications for the three sites will be considered by local authorities soon. A protest is planned outside RAF Barnham, and resident groups may launch legal challenges.

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