Plans to move asylum seekers out of costly taxpayer-funded hotels and into army barracks have been derailed over “safety fears”.
The Home Office initially promised hundreds of migrants would begin to be moved into Cameron Barracks in Inverness and Crowborough Camp in East Sussex by December 1.
However, officials have now been forced to concede this timetable can no longer be kept to, as the sites have been deemed currently unsuitable.
Authorities are scrambling to establish appropriate healthcare provisions and additional policing before a single migrant can be moved in, according to The Sun.
Addressing the delay, a Home Office spokesman said: “We are furious at the level of illegal migrants and asylum hotels.
“Moving to large military sites is an important part of our reforms to tackle illegal migration and the pull factors that make the UK an attractive destination.
“We are continuing to accelerate plans to move people into Crowborough and Cameron Barracks, when the sites are fully operational and safe.
“We will not replicate the mistakes of the past where rushed plans have led to unsafe and chaotic situations that impacts the local community,” they added.
The Government has confirmed plans to move asylum seekers out of hotels into barracks have been derailed
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Last month, new documents revealed major renovations were due to begin at Cameron Barracks in January, far beyond the state’s December target.
The works total £1.3million in renovations, including the removal of asbestos, refitting the site’s boiler, and a full refurbishment of accommodation blocks.
Around £1million of the contract covers a full redecoration of the 12 accommodation and support buildings on the site, including new flooring and the stripping out of fixtures, according to files seen by The Times.
The delays pile further pressure on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who has pledged to end the use of asylum hotels costing the taxpayer a galling £8million a day.
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Hundreds of East Sussex residents have taken to the streets to protest to plans
| PAOn Thursday, Sir Keir reiterated his promise, declaring that he remained “determined to close all our asylum hotels".
The Home Office previously said rehousing migrants in military barracks is a key element of their plans to abolish the use of hotels.
However, local resistance to the placement of hundreds of these migrants has been intense.
Last week, huge numbers of protestors marched through the streets of East Sussex after the Ministry of Defence offered the 540-capacity Crowborough Camp for asylum accommodation.
Migrant hotels are costing the taxpayer ££8million each day
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The independent MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Fergus Ewing, shared his constituents' similar concerns about the plans for Cameron Barracks.
“Many constituents have told me they are particularly worried about the proposed accommodation of several hundred men in such a central location, close to residential areas.
“They are especially concerned for the safety of women and girls. These concerns are about safety and community capacity — not prejudice — and they must be taken seriously, he explained.
New Government figures revealed that some 36,273 asylum seekers were being housed in hotels at the end of September.
This meant there were now 7,000 more migrants in hotels than when Labour entered office last year.
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