From 2021, as well as increased use of unsuitable hotel accommodation the previous Government sought to develop a national portfolio of large-scale asylum ‘accommodation centres’ in which to place people seeking asylum in the UK.

These sites have included the Bibby Stockholm barge in Dorset and the ex-military barracks at RAF Wethersfield in Essex. The inhumane living conditions at these sites cause lasting harm and have been described as ‘quasi-detention‘ by a parliamentary inquiry.

We believe people seeking asylum should be housed in communities, not camps, barracks or barges. How people seeking asylum is housed is about more than providing shelter. It is emblematic of the UK’s vision of providing sanctuary to people seeking refuge. We want people seeking asylum to be welcomed as our neighbours, not warehoused in camps.

We welcome the new Government committing to close the 'prison-like' Bibby Stockholm barge and scrapping plans to set up another camp at RAF Scampton. We call on the Government to build on this news by announcing an immediate closure of the camps at RAF Wethersfield and Napier, which are similarly causing extreme distress and a severe mental health crisis amongst people held there, and immediately disown the previous Government’s plans to establish a further segregated camp at Northeye in Bexhill-on-Sea.

Write to your MP to call on them to oppose all camp-style accommodation centres, and ask the Government to house people seeking asylum in safe and suitable housing within communities where they can safely rebuild their lives in dignity.