Inverness army barracks to house hundreds of male asylum seekers

Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info An army barracks in Inverness is to house hundreds of male asylum seekers, the UK Government has confirmed, as it looks to empty so-called 'migrant hotels'. Cameron Barracks has been identified by Labour ministers as one of two sites to house around 900 men, despite a senior politician admitting the cost of moving them could be higher than keeping them in hotels. The premises will be utilised by the Home Office to be the temporary home of 300 migrants before they are moved to dispersed housing around the UK to await the outcome of their asylum applications. But concerns have been raised by the SNP/independent-led council about the impact it will have on social cohesion. Cameron Barracks is situated just minutes away from Inverness city centre, and right beside a school, Milburn Academy, as well as a youth hostel. The asylum seekers will be allowed to come and go as they please from their temporary accommodation, and are set to move in from early December 2025, with the contract being for up to 12 months. READ MORE: SNP Government spend £1m on bespoke Scottish 'migration' system - despite issue being reserved READ MORE: Scale of Glasgow migrant crisis revealed as city houses 400% more asylum seekers than it should As well as Inverness, the men would be housed at Crowborough Training Camp in East Sussex. The presence of migrant hotels has proved controversial and has even sparked protests across the UK including in Scotland, with the potential for the unrest to spread to Inverness. Signalling that further bases were also being considered as accommodation sites, defence minister Luke Pollard told BBC Breakfast: "Some bases are small, some bases are larger in terms of numbers, but I think the conversation around the bases that are in the news today is about proving this concept, is about seeing whether this works. "We believe that these bases can provide adequate accommodation for asylum seekers." Mr Pollard denied the asylum seekers would be housed in "luxury accommodation" but said the barracks would be "adequate for what is required, and that will enable us to take the pressure off the asylum hotel estates and enable those to be closed at a faster rate". He later added that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) was working with the Home Office "on standing up a number of bases at the moment". Mr Pollard continued: "We've got to make sure that the facilities are right there, that we've got adequate security arrangements in place, and that we've got engagement with the local authorities, the councils in those areas, to make sure that there is adequate provision for what is expected in those locations." Highland Council raise concerns A joint statement was released by Highland Council Convenor Bill Lobban, SNP leader Raymond Bremner, and opposition leader Alasdair Christie. They aired fears about the impact the move would have on community cohesion, while also pointing out that the city has a small community and is not set up to deal with an influx of migrants. It read: "The first written confirmation, which was used as the basis of a briefing for key partners by Home Office officials, was received by the Council yesterday, 27 October, and was confidential. The Home Office is the lead agency for resettlement, and decisions regarding the use of Cameron Barracks are made by the MOD and Home Office alone. "The UK Government has indicated that the Council has no direct role in supporting the asylum seekers after their arrival. The Leader of The Highland Council wrote to the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Shabana Mahmood last week to request confirmation and additional information. "To date we have not received a response. We await more details on how Inverness was selected over other available locations and how community cohesion will be maintained given the large number of asylum seekers planned relative to the local population. We have repeatedly sought written confirmation from the Home Office as to their plans. "The UK Government have informed us that their accommodation will be self-contained, with all necessary services provided on site. The asylum seekers are 'non-detained', meaning they will be free to leave their site should they wish. Our main concern is the impact this proposal will have on community cohesion given the scale of the proposals as they currently stand. Inverness is a relatively small community but the potential impact locally and across the wider Highlands appears not to have been taken into consideration by the UK Government." Locals have reacted angrily in the Inverness Courier page. One person said: "This situation is outrageous. Our community services -- including hospitals, GP surgeries, dentists, schools, and housing -- are already stretched to breaking point." And another wrote: "Police Scotland better get some city centre officers back on duty pronto style. This will be absolute carnage. Absolutely no chance my daughter gets into town centre with her friends anymore. And people are asking why people are flocking here, we are a soft touch, an easy option." Barrack sites will be handed over in their "entirety" to the Home Office, Mr Pollard told LBC. Migrants are not being housed alongside serving military personnel, he added, as the bases selected are currently out of use. The Cameron site was used to accommodate Afghan families evacuated during the withdrawal from Kabul in 2021 while they were resettled elsewhere, with that work ending earlier this year. Industrial sites, temporary facilities and disused accommodation are also being considered as housing for migrants, and officials have been ordered to accelerate work identifying alternatives. As of June this year, about 32,000 asylum seekers were being housed in hotels, down from a peak of more than 56,000 in 2023 but 2,500 more than at the same point last year. The Highlands is one of eight Scottish regions that do not house any asylum seekers, according to the most recent figures. And expected costs of Home Office accommodation contracts for 2019-2029 have tripled from £4.5 billion to £15.3 billion, following what the Commons Home Affairs Committee called a "dramatic increase" in demand. For more news, follow us on Facebook and X but never miss the latest top headlines and sign up to our daily newsletter here.