Large asylum sites divide society, say Greens

Large-scale army barracks housing asylum seekers "create huge division" in society, the Green Party's deputy leader says.

Rachel Millward told the BBC it would be better for people to be housed within communities and given the right to work.

"The best way to reduce the number and this backlog and this kind of situation that we're seeing is to create more safe routes [to apply for asylum]," she said.

The Home Office said it was working to house asylum seekers fairly across the country in alternative accommodation, including former military sites to reduce the impact on local communities.

In 2025, plans were announced to house up to 540 men at Crowborough Training Camp, which falls within the East Sussex district of Wealden, where Millward is the district council's leader.

The Home Office is also seeking to use three former military sites in Oxfordshire, Suffolk and North Yorkshire as part of efforts to move asylum seekers out of hotels.

The government says the policy has saved more than £1bn since Labour came to power at the last general election.

Ministers are considering extending the use of Crowborough until 2030 and Wethersfield in Essex beyond 2027, although no final decision has been made.

When asked if a change in policy could lead to more people trying to come to the UK, Millward said she did not think a lot of people seeking asylum were "aware of the detail of the policy of a certain country".

"These people are fleeing persecution, they are fleeing war, they are fleeing horrific effects of climate change and they're seeking asylum where they can," she said.

"There are different reasons why they might want to come to the UK. It's often family, it's sometimes culture, but I don't think these camps work as a deterrent.

"I think what they do is create tensions within our community, so we need safe routes and we need to give asylum seekers the right to work."

Millward said the Greens were "not at all saying everybody's welcome no matter what the situation".

"I'm not suggesting we should take more than our fair share [of people] at all", she explained.

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