A proposed 1,200-bed asylum centre at RAF Linton-on-Ouse would give a small rural community “city-sized problems overnight” without the resources to deal with them, campaigners have claimed.
Linton-on-Ouse Community Action Group has described the proposed centre for single male asylum seekers as a “mega hotel” and called for detailed policing, safeguarding and public service plans to be drawn up before any planning application is submitted.
The group said its concerns were “not about race or religion” and insisted it did not want to stigmatise people seeking asylum.
But it said the scale of the proposed facility compared with the surrounding rural community meant significant additional resources would be required if the Home Office plans went ahead.
“This is not about race or religion; this is about a small rural community being given city-sized problems overnight but not the resources to match,” the group said in a statement issued this week.
The group has listed a series of potential public safety and safeguarding issues which they believe authorities need to plan for, including drugs, exploitation, organised crime, modern slavery, anti-social behaviour and theft.
These are risks identified by the action group rather than predictions by North Yorkshire Police, and the group said its intention was to ensure potential challenges were properly assessed, funded and prepared for.
It has called for an urgent joint action plan involving the Home Office, North Yorkshire Police, North Yorkshire Council, NHS services and local organisations before the proposals progress to the planning stage.
Among its demands are increased local policing capacity, dedicated liaison officers, funding for overtime and specialist police units, enhanced security and safeguarding arrangements, and additional drug and public health services.
The group also questioned how people staying at the centre would access education, employment and volunteering opportunities in a rural area with limited facilities and called for investment in public transport and social services.
Professor Olga Matthias, spokesperson for the action group, said: “Linton-on-Ouse must be a safe haven for those seeking protection and the families residing here.
“This requires careful planning based on evidence, appropriate funding, and a focus on safeguarding and community cohesion, without compromising the community’s integrity.”
She called on the Home Office and local authorities to secure “concrete funding and operational plans” before any planning proposals are presented.
The campaigners have highlighted preparations already being made by North Yorkshire Police as evidence of the scale of planning potentially required.
Police have established a Gold, Silver and Bronze command structure in anticipation of the proposed development, while weekly discussions are taking place with the Home Office and local authority and the Local Resilience Forum has been mobilised.
Police have also highlighted the potential resource implications of “regular, sustained and significant protest activity”, warning that officers could have to be drawn from across North Yorkshire if such demands materialised.
The action group wants assurances that the additional policing, health, transport, safeguarding and community support it believes would be needed will be identified and funded before the proposals progress.
The Home Office declined to address the group’s specific concerns when approached by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
However, a spokesperson said the government was working on a “fairer distribution of asylum accommodation across the country with over £1bn saved in costs since the election”.
They added: “This includes closing all asylum hotels and moving to alternative accommodation, including former military sites. These are designed to be self-contained, with 24/7 security and CCTV, to reduce the impact on local communities.”
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