Military Sites Considered for Temporary Asylum Seeker Accommodation, Says Minister
Defense Secretary John Healey has stated that military planners are assessing potential sites on defense bases to temporarily house individuals seeking asylum, as Prime Minister Keir Starmer aims to end the use of hotels sooner than the initially planned 2029 deadline.
Speaking on Sky News’s Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, Healey explained: “We are working with the Home Office, integrating military planners into their border command and future strategies. We are examining both military and non-military locations as possible short-term accommodations for those arriving by small boats who may not have legal status or require swift processing before a final decision is made on their stay or deportation—something we have carried out extensively in the past year.”
Later, during an appearance on BBC One’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Healey was questioned about whether the military could take on a larger role in border patrols. While he avoided a direct answer, he suggested that, for now, military involvement would be limited to providing bases and planning support.
Starmer has taken a firmer stance on small boat crossings amid rising political pressure, with Reform UK leading in some polls and criticizing the government for not delivering on its promise to dismantle smuggling networks. Tensions have also flared in communities, such as in Epping, Essex, where protests erupted after a 14-year-old girl was assaulted by a man seeking asylum.
In a recent cabinet reshuffle, Starmer appointed Shabana Mahmood as the new home secretary, replacing Yvette Cooper. The government is also exploring ways to reinterpret the European Convention on Human Rights’ provisions on family life to facilitate more deportations of individuals deemed ineligible to remain in the UK.
Over the weekend, Reform UK announced at its conference that it would halt small boat crossings within two weeks of taking office. Party leader Nigel Farage later clarified that this meant introducing legislation to prevent courts from blocking deportations of those who entered the country unlawfully.
Reform UK’s policy head, Zia Yusuf, dismissed suggestions that asylum seekers would be housed in shipping containers, stating instead that the party would utilize “purpose-built modular steel structures.” Defending the proposal on Sky News, Yusuf referenced international examples, saying, “We can observe what has worked elsewhere. President Trump established 3,000 detention beds in eight days earlier this year in Florida using such structures.”
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