The Home Office is currently eyeing up 14 sites around the country to house 10,000 asylum seekers, according to a leaked document marked “official sensitive”.
It is part of new plans set out by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to rework Britain’s immigration and asylum system.
Her reforms are understood to be based on those implemented by the Danish Social Democrats, a fellow centre-left party.
The leaked document suggests the Home Office has earmarked at least 14 additional sites to house migrants around the country.
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Marked “official sensitive”, the leaked memo suggests a list has been drawn up of locations across the UK where as many as 10,000 migrants can be dispersed, per The Times.
These are expected to be part of more “large sites” set to be unveiled as part of Labour’s pledge to end the use of asylum hotels, which cost the taxpayer billions, by 2029.
Two sites have already been announced: Cameron Barracks in Inverness and the Crowborough army training camp in East Sussex.
However, local opposition to the placement of hundreds of migrants in these sites has already been fierce.
14 new sites are being eyed by the Home Office to house 10,000 migrants
|GETTY
Over the weekend, Crowborough took to the streets in protest, bearing signs like "protect our children" and "protect our community".
Speaking to GB News at the demonstration, local man Ben Grant said: "We just feel like we've been let down by the Government basically.
"We're a small town, 20,000 people. We're going to be surged with at least 600 undocumented men who are going to have nothing to do.
"We went to the council meeting, and it was very clear that the Government didn't have our interests at heart."
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Housing asylum seekers at locations in Inverness and East Sussex has already sparked protests
|GB NEWS
The choice of the East Sussex site, which is also used by young army cadets from across the country, was previously rejected by the last Tory government following safeguarding concerns.
The Conservative MP for Sussex Weald, Nus Ghani, said: “We also have a duty of care towards the cadets based there, but the Home Office officials didn’t even care about that nor had the council raised it as a problem. It’s a shambles.”
Cameon Barracks, found just a short distance from Inverness city centre, has also faced major local backlash.
Fergus Ewing, the independent MSP for Inverness and Nairn, reflected concerns from his constituents that the move could endanger women and girls.
He said: “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."
Angus MacDonald, the MP for Inverness, Skye & West Ross-shire, described the barracks as “not an appropriate location to house a large number of migrants”.
“Cameron Barracks is surrounded by housing and only a ten-minute walk to the high street. It is secured only by a modest fence,” the MP added.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is attempting to overhaul Britain's asylum system
| PA
It adds further pressure on the Government, which is rushing to begin £1.3million in renovations at the barracks due to begin in January, far beyond the state’s target of rehoming the migrants by the end of November.
The Home Secretary’s asylum overhaul has already faced opposition from within her own party.
Labour’s leftwing MPs have hit out at what they called a “hardcore” and “far-right” approach, calling on Ms Mahmood to scale back the proposals.
Nottingham East MP Nadia Whittome is among them, going so far as to describe the policies as “racist.”
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