First 800 asylum seekers due to move into East Sussex centre 'by September', says Home Office

The Government said the number is expected to be at the Northeye site in Bexhill, a former prison and training centre, by September.

The Home Office had originally said the first 400 people were expected to move into the site by then but has now confirmed it will be double that number.

The site is one of several to be chosen in the UK by the Government and will accommodate up to 1,200 people by the end of this year.

A Homes Office spokesperson said: “We expect there to be c.800 people in phase one of the site opening by September 2023. We plan to accommodate c.1,200 people by December 2023.

"The Home Office would work with our future service provider to ensure the site is operationally viable and minimises any impact on the wider community.”

The plans for Northeye were first unveiled at the end of March and since then several gatherings by concerned residents from the area have been held, as well as several protests.

The town council also held a public meeting where residents aired their concerns over the proposals.

A protest was held on May 20 where around 200 people took part in the demonstration.

The event saw angry residents holding up placards and marching through Bexhill.

The protest was organised by the No to Northeye campaign.

A motion is also being put forward at Bexhill Town Council’s meeting on Wednesday (June 7) by Sackville ward town councillor Claire Baldry calling for the council to oppose the plans.

The motion said: “Having consulted with residents and local interest groups, that Bexhill on Sea Town Council opposes the use of the Northeye ex-military training site to house 1,200 male asylum seekers.”

A legal challenge launched by Bexhill resident, Jeff Newnham, in a bid to fight the Government’s Northeye plans has also raised £15,000.

He launched the legal action last month, setting up a fundraising page on CrowdJustice, to help towards legal costs.

Last month, Bexhill MP Huw Merriman revealed that he did not oppose plans to build the centre for asylum seekers at Northeye.

He was speaking on Good Morning Britain on May 12 with presenters Kate Garraway and Adil Ray.

The presenters were discussing the BBC Question Time episode on May 11, which was filmed at the De La Warr Pavilion, in which there were laughter and jeers from the audience when social care minister, Helen Whately said Mr Merriman was a ‘strong voice for people in the Government’.

Mr Merriman said: “Our policy is to move asylum seekers away from hotels. They are costly and they are not safe in terms of people being targeted by modern slavery gangs. I would rather see people housed in more humane situations where there is something to do, where it does not blight hotels and the areas around them. I know that causes a challenge for my constituents. I obviously want to mitigate that by making sure that there is enough security in place and NHS provision provided in the camp.”

The Home Office said the Northeye site will accommodate single adult male asylum seekers.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “By designing the site to be as self-sufficient as possible, we would minimise the impact on local communities and services. This includes consideration of impacts to the community during both construction and operational phases. As proposals develop, we will work closely with local stakeholders to manage any impact on the local area.”