East Sussex asylum centre: Plans for 'detention centre' condemned as 'inhumane'

In March this year, the Home Office revealed its proposals to turn Northeye, a disused prison and training centre in Bexhill, into a centre for asylum seekers, the site being one of several in the UK to be chosen.

Last Thursday (August 31), Bexhill MP Huw Merriman said that the Home Office is now planning to use Northeye as a centre ‘for those who have arrived in the UK illegally’ and are awaiting deportation.

He said: “This means the centre will be a closed, detained and secure site and that those staying will not be expected to remain for longer than 45 days. Those moving to the centre would do so under a phased approach.”

Since the announcement, the latest plans have attracted opposition from campaigners from Stand Up To Racism and the No to Northeye group.

This week Bexhill and Battle Liberal Democrats condemned the proposals as ‘inhumane’.

Stephen Hardy MBE, chair of Bexhill and Battle Liberal Democrats, said: “The news that the Home Office are looking to change the proposed use of the old Northeye prison in Bexhill back to a prison for so-called illegal migrants, though they want to call it ‘a detention centre’, demonstrates the Home Office continues to look at the migrant issue through the wrong end of the telescope.

“The Home Office is proposing to house new migrants at Northeye who, under the new Illegal Migration Act are automatically deemed illegal, because they came to the UK via small boats. This is regardless of any legitimate claim they may have to asylum here. Under this Act their rights are denied contrary to international law and contrary to the UN Refugee Convention of which the UK is a party. Our Illegal Migration Act is therefore itself illegal under international law.

“Liberal Democrats have called for the repeal of the Illegal Migration legislation, the establishment of legal routes, an extension of the Ukrainian resettlement scheme to other migrants, permitting asylum seekers to seek work, thereby removing the cost of their housing from the Exchequer, and faster processing of asylum claims, and the abandonment of the Rwanda scheme.

“The combination of these measures would do more to save taxpayers’ money, remove the need for Northeye, and undermine the people smugglers’ economic model than the current Government's policy of inhumane demonisation and hate speech. Instead we have the Government introducing ever more draconian laws and constantly harping on about the cost of keeping people in hotel accommodation, instead of doing something positive to solve the problem, in the true British spirit of compassion and humanity for others.”

Last week, Stand Up To Racism blasted the plans as ‘cruel’ and accused the Government of ‘grandstanding to make headlines’.

Daniel Rushby, for Bexhill Stand Up To Racism, said: “Northeye will become a centre for the mass deportation of asylum seekers and migrants. Since the initial announcement in April we have been campaigning in defence of refugees and we know that the people of Bexhill are compassionate and caring.

“People seeking asylum are not criminals and should be welcomed into our community, just like Ukrainian refugees. The Government should demolish Northeye and build affordable houses, not a prison camp, bringing jobs to Bexhill without relying on cruelty to refugees.”

Since the plans for Northeye were first unveiled earlier this year, several protests have been held in Bexhill, organised by the No to Northeye group.

Thousands of people have also signed online petitions opposing the proposals.

Nigel Jacklin, co-founder of the No to Northeye group, said: “While this use is less worse than the original proposals to use the site as an open accommodation centre we will continue to oppose it. We do welcome any measures that will stop illegal arrivals; effectively tackling this and processing claims in good time would eliminate the need for large-scale accommodation centres. Using lower cost hotels would destroy the business case for large-scale accommodation centres.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: “This Government is taking action to address the unacceptable costs of housing migrants in hotels, which is costing the taxpayer around £6 million a day. Bexhill has been identified as an alternative to hotels as a site that is suitable for the purposes of asylum seeker accommodation.

“Alternative large sites such as surplus military land and this site at Bexhill are not only more affordable for taxpayers than hotels, but also more manageable and orderly than hotels for communities, thanks to healthcare and catering facilities on site, 24/7 security and purpose-built basic accommodation.”