Plans to use the former RAF Scampton site to house asylum seekers have been scrapped
The former airbase was at the heart of a plan by the previous Conservative government to accommodate migrants
Last updated 5th Sep 2024
Plans to use the former RAF Scampton site to house asylum seekers have been scrapped.
The Home Office said, as the site does not represent value for money.
The former airbase in Lincolnshire was at the heart of a plan by the previous Conservative government to accommodate migrants who arrive in the UK by small boats and other unauthorised means.
Opening the site from the autumn as planned would have cost a total of £122 million by the end of its use in 2027, meaning the site no longer represents value for money, the Government department claimed.
A total of £60 million has already been spent on the site, according to the department, and work to close it will begin immediately, with its sale happening in line with an established process for disposing of crown land.
Dame Angela Eagle, a Home Office minister, said:
"Faster asylum processing, increased returns and tighter enforcement of immigration rules will reduce demand for accommodation like Scampton and save millions for the taxpayer as we drive forward work to clear the asylum backlog and strengthen our border security.
"We have also listened to community feedback and concerns about using this site for asylum accommodation."
The move comes after the Government scrapped the Rwanda plan, a policy championed by the Tories in government aimed at deterring migrants crossing the channel in small boats.