The Home Office is preparing to repurpose three additional Ministry of Defence sites to house thousands of asylum seekers, marking a significant escalation in the government’s effort to move people out of taxpayer-funded hotels. The proposed sites in Bicester, Oxfordshire; Barnham, Suffolk; and Linton-on-Ouse, North Yorkshire, could accommodate approximately 3,750 individuals, provided the government secures the necessary planning permissions.

This shift is part of a broader, high-stakes attempt to manage the UK’s asylum backlog. While the number of asylum seekers in hotels has fallen from a peak of 56,000 in September 2023 to roughly 20,885 as of March, the cost remains a massive political liability. Last year, the government spent £3 billion on hotel accommodation, a figure that dropped to £2.1 billion for 2024-2025 but still represents a daily expenditure of millions.

The Political Calculus

For the Labour government, the move is a practical necessity to fulfill a campaign pledge to end the use of hotels, which have become flashpoints for anti-migrant protests and local community friction. Border security and asylum minister Alex Norris framed the transition as a return to order. "We are moving asylum seekers into ex-military sites that are a far cry from the hotels the last government left us with," Norris said in a statement. "This is a system being brought back under control."

However, the opposition is not convinced. Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp argued that the government is focusing on the wrong mechanism. "Labour should be putting illegal immigrants on a plane home rather than messing around with military camps and hotels," Philp said. He contended that without a more aggressive deportation strategy, the use of military sites serves as a logistical pivot rather than a genuine deterrent.

A History of Resistance

The government’s reliance on military infrastructure is already facing significant headwinds. Two existing sites—RAF Wethersfield in Essex and Crowborough Training Camp in East Sussex—are already operational, yet they have been plagued by legal challenges and local opposition. Just this week, plans to house 300 asylum seekers at Cameron Barracks in Inverness were abandoned following sustained local protests.

Beyond the local pushback, humanitarian organizations have raised alarms about the suitability of these locations. The British Red Cross has warned that military barracks are often isolated and can retraumatize individuals who have already fled conflict. "Any alternative accommodation must enable people to live in safety and dignity," said Sam Turner, the charity’s director of migration and displacement.

The Legislative Horizon

These site expansions serve as a precursor to a larger legislative battle. Next Tuesday, the government is expected to introduce the Immigration and Asylum Bill in the House of Commons. The bill aims to accelerate the removal of individuals whose asylum claims have been refused.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is leading the charge on these reforms, which are expected to be inherited by the incoming prime minister following Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation. While the political consensus within the Labour party appears to be coalescing around these measures—with leadership hopeful Andy Burnham signaling support for the "broad thrust" of the bill—the legislation is likely to face stiff opposition from the party's own backbenches.

Key Takeaways

  • The Home Office is seeking to open three new military sites in Bicester, Barnham, and Linton-on-Ouse to house roughly 3,750 asylum seekers.
  • The government is under intense pressure to reduce the £2.1 billion annual spend on hotels, which has dropped significantly but remains a major fiscal burden.
  • The upcoming Immigration and Asylum Bill, set for introduction next week, will attempt to streamline deportations, setting the stage for a major parliamentary confrontation.

As the government pushes forward with these site acquisitions, the next major decision point will be the planning approval process for the three new locations. If the government fails to secure local cooperation, the strategy of moving away from hotels may face the same logistical paralysis that has hampered previous attempts to utilize military land.