A former military base would provide accommodation for 1,250 “single adult male” asylum seekers, according to information published by the Home Office.
It states that those living at the site in Bicester, Oxfordshire, would be men “between the ages of 18 and 65 who have applied for asylum”.
It comes after the government announced plans last week to use three more military sites to house asylum seekers as it seeks to move people out of hotels.
Tim McNally, chair of Piddington Parish Council, one of the villages closest to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) site, said he was “more concerned than before” and that residents were “taking a hit on behalf of the United Kingdom”.
The announcement sparked criticism from the district council and human rights groups as well as the Lib Dem Bicester and Woodstock MP Calum Miller, with residents also describing their ‘shock’ upon hearing the news.
The factsheet published online on Tuesday by the Home Office said the site would provide “basic, safe accommodation” and would be designed to be “largely self‑sufficient to minimise any impact on the local community”.
If approved, it would be used for a minimum of ten years to house about 1,250 asylum seekers.
This would include a provisional 270 asylum seekers expected to be housed at the site by the end of 2026, according to a letter sent to service personnel at the base.
Miller voiced his concerns over the plans last week and said: “I’ve literally no idea how the government thinks that can be absorbed into the community.”
McNally said that women and children in his community would “have to adapt their lives to accommodate these men”.