PM confirms first asylum seekers will move into former RAF Scampton base over the summer
It's thought around 2,000 will eventually be housed there on a temporary basis
The Prime Minister has confirmed the first asylum seekers will move into the former RAF Scampton site over the summer.
Rishi Sunak has been speaking about the issue of migrants today on a trip to Dover and says his plans to stop dangerous channel crossings are "starting to work".
Previously the Government would only say asylum seekers wouldn't arrive at Scampton before mid August.
The Prime Minister, running through Government progress on tackling illegal migration, said that he had raised the issue at numerous international summits.
He also said he was following up on his pledge to "get illegal migrants out of hotels and into alternative sites".
Rishi Sunak said:
"Today I can confirm new large sites will open at Wethersfield and Scampton, with hundreds moving in over the summer, and nearly 3,000 by the autumn.
"And while we're bringing those sites online, we're also making more efficient use of hotels by asking people to share rooms where it's appropriate to do so."
West Lindsey District Council has launched legal action over plans to house asylum seekers at the former RAF base. It previously said:
"The Council’s position remains that RAF Scampton is not a suitable site for asylum seekers, nor is it a deliverable or cost-effective solution to tackling the immigration issues faced by the country at this time."
It is also arguing a ÂŁ300 million pound regeneration scheme would be jeopardised by the plans.