Plans for asylum seekers to be brought to Scampton from detention centre in Kent
West Lindsey District Council has been informed
Last updated 26th May 2023
It's been revealed the Government's plans to house asylum seekers at the former RAF Scampton site would see them brought directly from the detention centre at Manston, Kent, rather than from hotels.
Ministers have let West Lindsey District council know that is there plan.
It's understood it'll be mid August at least until the first ones arrive at the site.
West Lindsey District Council says it's not the right solution
The council has been fighting the plans and has even taken legal action.
They say their position remains the same that it's not the right solution.
They argue it's not a deliverable or cost-effective solution to tackling the immigration issues faced by the country at this time.
West Lindsey District Council has issued a statement:
Leader Cllr Trevor Young said: ‘It appears the Home Office does not have a clear and deliverable plan for accommodating asylum seekers at RAF Scampton.
Initially we were told the site would be up and running by April.
We are now three months in and there is still no delivery plan.
We firmly believe this is because you cannot make RAF Scampton safe for the purpose of housing asylum seekers.”
This "totally undermines the Government's argument"
He said: “The news that asylum seekers would now not be coming from hotels is concerning."
"Not only does this totally undermine the Government’s argument that large sites are about reducing the dependency on hotels, but it changes any planning assumptions we have been able to make around the delivery of services and mitigating the impact on our communities.”