Starmer U-turn as Labour announces another 445 asylum seeker places at ex-RAF base - after pledging to close it during election campaign
The number of illegal immigrants at MDP Wethersfield in Essex is set to balloon by more than 50 per cent, the Home Office informed the local community in a quiet update yesterday.
Currently, the site houses 800 asylum seekers meaning the total figure will now rise to 1,245.
At last year's General Election Sir Keir had said he would close the venue and stop housing asylum seekers on disused military sites.
The Home Office said: 'If called upon, the contingency bedspaces will only be utilised on a temporary basis until such time as the wider accommodation estate is able to manage demand, and the number accommodated at Wethersfield will be reduced back down to 800 bedspaces as soon as possible thereafter.'
Wethersfield is one of just two Home Office mass accommodation sites - along with Napier barracks in Folkestone which was already the largest.
The Essex venue has proved controversial since it opened under a Conservative government in July 2023, attracting anti-migrant protests.
An ever-growing number of small boat arrivals will be accommodated at the venue - after nearly 4,500 people crossed the Channel this month alone, taking the total to more than 24,000 this year. The figure is about 50 per cent higher than this time last year.
Last year, Sir Keir said he would close down the controversial Wethersfield site when interviewed as part of his General Election campaign.
He told ITV: 'I do think [Wethersfield] needs to close.
'Obviously that'll take time, because the problem that we've got at the moment is we've got tens of thousands of asylum seekers whose claims are not being processed. That is unsustainable.'
Probed further on the closure date, the Prime Minister said: 'I'm not going to put an arbitrary date on it, but I do know how keenly this is felt locally and understandably so.
'I want to ensure that we actually deal with all of these cases rather than having increasing numbers of people in hotels paid for by the taxpayer.
'So I can absolutely understand why people are frustrated and angry with the government for the way this has been allowed to get completely out of hand.'
Concerns have been raised by some members of the local community about the remote nature of the site while pro-migrant activists fear it could become a target for protesters who have campaigned against use of the Bell Hotel in Epping, also in Essex.
Conservative MPs such as James Cleverly, shadow housing and communities secretary whose Braintree constituency includes Wethersfield, have hit out at the recent Home Office announcement.
He told The Times: 'I was never happy that asylum seekers were held at Wethersfield and while home secretary, secured a cap on the numbers of asylum seekers at there. I remain opposed to any increase.
'Starmer said the site needs to close, but is now increasing numbers.'
Mr Cleverly claimed Sir Keir and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper had gone forward with the scheme because they 'scrapped' the Rwanda plan and 'failed to reduce small boat crossings'.
Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, added: 'This is another Starmer U-turn as his government descends into chaos.
'He promised to close this facility down, now he's expanding it. Despite this, there are more illegal immigrants now in hotels than at the time of the election because we've seen record ever numbers cross the Channel this year.'
Steve Smith, the chief executive of Care4Calais, attacked Sir Keir from a different angle as he insisted the Prime Minister should have kept his promise of closing the former military camp down given the 'anxiety and despair' inflicted on its residents.
In March, a high court judge found the former home secretary Suella Braverman acted unlawfully in housing three asylum seekers at the ex-RAF base. The men – who were at Wethersfield between July 2023 and February 2024 – argued they were living in prison-like conditions.
Graham Butland, the leader of Braintree district council, told the Guardian: 'This disused airbase in a very rural area does not have the infrastructure to host asylum seekers on such a large scale.'
The Home Office said: 'All use of property or sites under our ownership is carried out in accordance with relevant planning permissions, and we work together with local authorities and other stakeholders to ensure the accommodation estate is continuously reviewed and managed safely and effectively at all times.'
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