Sussex Weald MP criticises plans to use Crowborough Training Camp as asylum seeker accommodation until 2030 as ‘U-turn on previous public assurances’

Sussex Weald MP Nusrat Ghani strongly condemned the Home Office's plans to extend the use of Crowborough Training Camp as asylum seeker accommodation until 2030

The site, a former military barracks in East Sussex, began housing asylum seekers in January 2026 under what was publicly claimed to be a strict 12-month temporary limit. However, the Home Office subsequently announced intentions to seek planning permission to extend the site's operation for four additional years. 

Key Points of Criticism

• Breach of Trust: Nusrat Ghani MP stated that the Home Office previously gave explicit assurances that the camp would only be used for one year. 
• Hidden Intentions: Freedom of Information (FOI) requests previously revealed that the government spent £3 million establishing the site, a figure Ghani argued was always too high for a short-term, 12-month project. 
• Community Displaced: The long-term extension displaces the Army Cadets and emergency "blue light" services who rely on the facility for training. 
• No Public Consultation: The decision was made behind closed doors, with the Home Office offering no plans for local public consultation regarding the 2030 timeline. 

Local Impact & Reactions

The camp is designed to house up to 540 male asylum seekers as part of a national strategy to phase out the use of expensive asylum hotels. Local opposition has intensified following the extension announcement: 

• Crowborough Town Council: Expressed "extreme disappointment," citing previous "unequivocal denials" by officials that the camp would be used beyond late 2026.
• Wealden District Council: Council leaders warned that the extended timeline risks escalating community tensions and disrupting local infrastructure and services.
• Legal Action: Local campaign group Crowborough Shield has secured permission for a High Court judicial review to challenge the legality of the site's deployment. 

Ghani has vowed to "fight it all the way," continuing her campaign to challenge the Home Office on behalf of Sussex Weald residents.