Brits demand their views are heard before migrants are housed on MoD sites

Brits demand their views are heard before migrants are housed on MoD sites The Government says it must ensure that it has "enough secure, safe and sustainable accommodation" for migrants. Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Bookmark Add us as preferred source Comments By Adam Toms 22:22, Thu, Oct 8, 2026 Updated: 22:32, Thu, Oct 8, 2026 Brits have opposed migrants being housed near them (Image: Getty) A major petition has told the Government not to house migrants on Ministry of Defence (MoD) sites without "full, open and transparent" consultation with locals. The online document, set up by Clare Brown in August, has passed a significant milestone, garnering more than 20,000 signatures (24,090) at the time of writing. It states: "Calling on the new Prime Minister and his Government to immediately withdraw plans to use MoD sites for asylum seeker accommodation without full, open and transparent consultation with the local communities and local representatives whose lives will be impacted most." It comes as the little Oxfordshire village of Piddlington voted to leave Britain in a protest over plans to plonk 1,250 male migrants on their doorstep . There has also been resistance to the housing of asylum seekers in Wethersfield, Essex, and Crowborough, Sussex. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Because the petition has got more than 10,000 supporters, the Government issued a response. The Home Office said: "Large sites play an important role in ending asylum hotel use, reducing impact on communities, and will continue to be progressed in consultation with local authorities and statutory partners. "On 29 June, the Home Office announced plans to extend Crowborough, expand capacity and use at Wethersfield, and progress three further MOD sites for asylum accommodation. We agree with the public that all asylum hotels need to close. Get the latest politics news - straight from our team in Westminster and more I would like to receive emails from the Daily Express featuring our latest products, services, offers, and promotions from across the Reach Plc family . Subscribe Invalid email You agree you are 18 or over. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. You can unsubscribe at any time. More Info . "However, the Home Office must ensure that we have enough secure, safe and sustainable accommodation so that we can continue to meet our obligation in a fair and equitable manner. That is a complex process that must be delivered in a controlled, managed and orderly way. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT "We want to go further and faster, which is why we are expanding the use of large and medium sites, including former military sites, as alternative accommodation to hotels. Large sites (such as former MOD sites) offer a sustainable solution for housing asylum seekers. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Angela Rayner's 'authoritarian plot' to send snoops to Brits’ homes exposed - 'outrageous' Would Kemi Badenoch make a better PM than Andy Burnham? Piddington voted to leave the UK over plans to house 1,250 male asylum seekers (Image: Getty) "Accommodation on former military sites is designed to be largely self-sufficient, with essential services being provided on site to minimise impacts on the local community and upon local services and offer better longer-term value for money. They reduce pressure on communities whilst also giving us greater oversight and control at critical points in the asylum decision making process. Lessons have been learned from inherited acquisitions of accommodation under the previous government, which we are implementing to inform future accommodation procurement. "No final decision will be taken regarding the new or existing sites until all necessary arrangements, assessments and approvals are in place and all factors have been properly considered. The Home Office is already engaging with local authorities, police, health partners and other stakeholders in areas where there are proposed sites that may potentially be used: to understand local concerns, share information and support effective planning whilst also ensuring sites operate safely and respectfully, with robust measures in place to support community cohesion and maintain public safety at all times. "For any sites taken forward, engagement takes place through established multi-agency forums and regular discussions with local authorities, NHS partners, police forces, and other stakeholders. This ensures local concerns, community impacts, service pressures and public safety considerations are properly understood and considered as planning and delivery work progresses. "It is imperative that we fix this system. Only by restoring order and control to our borders can we be the open, tolerant and generous country that we know ourselves to be." Migrant Crisis Villages Towns Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Bookmark Add us as preferred source Comments