Inverness military site pegged to house asylum seekers

Cameron Barracks in Inverness is one of two MoD sites that could potentially be used to house asylum seekers.

Up to 300 people could be moved to the site from December while asylum applications are processed by the Home Office.

Senior political leaders at Highland Council have expressed concern about the impact on community cohesion.

Local MP Angus MacDonald has said the barracks “are not an appropriate location” and risk “major upheaval” in the city.

The UK Government has previously committed to ending the use of hotels to house asylum seekers by 2029.

It is understood Prime Minister Keir Starmer is now urging the Home Office and MoD to accelerate the plans to bring the target date forward.

Highland Council received official confirmation Cameron Barracks, located in central Inverness, had been selected on Monday.

It was told the property would be used as transition accommodation from early December for up to 12 months.

The council would not have a direct role in supporting any asylum seekers housed in the barracks, with the accommodation designed to be self-contained so all services are provided on-site.

However, those who are placed there would be able to leave the site should they wish and, given its proximity to the city centre, the council has urged the government to consider how community cohesion would be maintained.

A joint statement from convenor Bill Lobban, council leader Raymond Bremner, and opposition leader Alasdair Christie said: “Our main concern is the impact this proposal will have on community cohesion given the scale of the proposals as they currently stand. Inverness is a relatively small community but the potential impact locally and across the wider Highlands appears not to have been taken into consideration by the UK Government.”

There are around 32,000 asylum seekers currently living in hotels across the UK while they wait for their application to be considered. Crowborough army training camp in East Sussex is the other site which could be used as an alternative.

Waiting times for asylum claims have grown in recent years, with many people forced to wait more than six months for a decision. 

The backlog, while still high, has fallen from its record high in 2022. It has been driven by an increase in asylum claims and issues with processing.

MacDonald, the Lib Dem MP for Inverness, Skye & West Ross-shire, has requested an urgent question in the House of Commons on the matter.

He said: “There is a risk that this causes major upheaval in the city centre while only housing a tiny fraction of the numbers awaiting processing.”

The MP has called for improvements to the system to address the backlog of cases. He added: “Rather than shuttling people to Inverness, this Labour government should focus on fixing the root of the problem by speeding up asylum decisions so that those with no right to be here are returned swiftly, and those with valid claims can start working, integrating, and contributing to our communities.”