Mixed views on Wethersfield expansion plans
The Wethersfield asylum base could be expanded under new government plans. The BBC asked residents near Braintree, in Essex, what they thought about the news.
'I feel for them'
Susan Duffin, 69, said there is not enough to do in the village, and while they were "no trouble", asylum seekers needed to be in bigger towns with more amenities."It's a totally unsuitable place for people to live who have come from another country, another culture; they need to be where there is some access to life in general, so I just feel for them," she said. "They're no trouble to us, but they're just wandering around, really not knowing what to do with themselves, and that's not right."
'Sheer madness'
Alan McKenzie, chair of campaign group Stop Wethersfield Airbase Prison (SWAP), was exasperated by the news."If they are intending to increase the capacity in Wethersfield, it would be another folly on the part of the government - It's already been shown not to be value for money," he said."If they're talking about increasing the accommodation further, then it's sheer madness...because people get unhappy up there, it's a very enclosed environment, it's a long way to the centre of Wethersfield village where there are no facilities."He added: "I think locally everybody would want the government to adhere to what they've promised in the past, that the air base will be shut as soon as practically possible."
'Human beings, not aliens'
Sheila Collar, 88, was enjoying the sun with Barbara Boxall, 74.Ms Collar said: "They've got to live somewhere, we've got to put them somewhere and they are human beings, not aliens.""They haven't worried us at all. We were very concerned when we knew it was coming, but they haven't bothered Wethersfield in the village."Ms Boxall added: "The asylum seekers have not been any problem to us at the moment… we don't see them at all really,"
'Send them to Rwanda'
Retiree Ian Dalziel, 69, was disgusted at the prospect of the site expanding.He backed the Rwanda scheme, which was brought in by the previous Conservative government and aimed to send people who arrived illegally in the UK to the East African country. It was scrapped when Labour came into power after winning the 2024 general election."They shouldn't even be in this country, let alone being out in the countryside here, where there is nothing for them," he said. "It's just free handouts."Rwanda, that's where they should be. Put them up in that nice big hotel we paid for, which is empty. Stick them there, that's all there is to it."
'Prefer families over young men'
Pruning her front garden in Finchingfield, Christine Ashford-Hodges, 78, said she would have been happy to help refugee families settle in, but is less comfortable with the high proportion of "young men" at the site."Not that I've seen them doing anything they shouldn't do, but it's intimidating sometimes, and it worries me there's going to be even more," she said."The traffic flow has certainly increased because obviously... staff, food, maintenance."
'Threatened and concerned'
Personal assistant Christine Blake, 72, was watering her plants outside her home in Wethersfield."I'm a single female, there are many single females in this village, and we all feel threatened and concerned," she said."I have dogs which I walk and have walked for many years around the fields here, feeling completely safe and at home, but now it is a concern for all of us."It's not the right place, it's too remote and we really can't deal with it."She added: "I really and truly feel that the government needs to take control of the whole situation, never mind placing asylum seekers somewhere else, the whole situation needs to be dealt with."
What does the government say?
This week, the BBC revealed that Wethersfield was one of the sites that was being considered for an extension.A Home Office spokesperson said it was looking to deliver a "more sustainable and cost-effective asylum accommodation system", after Chancellor Rachel Reeves said that stopping the use of hotels would save £1bn.
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