The first of up to 431 illegal migrants are arriving at a new open camp based at a disused Army barracks in Folkestone, Kent.
The asylum seekers are “understood to be migrants who crossed the Channel aboard small boats”, according to the BBC.
Chris Philp MP, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Immigration Compliance at the Priti Patel-led Home Office, said the migrants will be subject to social distancing and “Laundry facilities, food, essentials, and other items are all [being] provided and access to health care… facilitated.”
The most prominent accommodation strategy for illegal aliens, whether arriving via small boats or otherwise, was previously booking up hotels shut to local people in towns and cities across the country.
This practice had become increasingly embarrassing for Boris Johnson’s government after a resident at one of them went on a stabbing spree, leaving a policeman critically injured, and Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage began touring the country to expose them — including in Priti Patel’s own constituency.
“They’re saying they’re going to be providing appropriate security but we’re not really sure what that will be,” remarked the MP for Folkestone and Hythe, Damian Collins, on the Folkestone camp.
“We’re assuming people will be able to come and go freely from the barracks, so there’s a question of the impact on the rest of the local community,” the noted Tory europhile added.
It has previously been reported that another proposed migrant camp for 250 men at barracks at the Penally Army Centre near the village of Tenby, Wales, would be “free to move around the area while their claims are dealt with” — possibly due to the fact that the European Union, which retains its supremacy over Britain during the ongoing post-Brexit “transition” period, has previously insisted that detaining asylum seekers while their claims are processed is unlawful.
Local news outlet KentLive interviewed a number of local people who live beside the barracks, many of whom were concerned and worried by the new camp.
“We’re a very small island and we’re very full, and whilst I’m happy to help anyone in genuine need, a lot of the people coming here are economic migrants,” said one resident.
“I don’t agree with that at all, and there’s also the threat of terrorism… we don’t know who these people are, and there’s been no consultation and no impact assessment,” she added.
“There’s a lady I know who says she’s terrified. We used to be able to keep our doors unlocked around here.”
Another resident, named as Clive, noted that “If [the Home Office are still[ assessing them as to whether they’re fit to come into the country there could be murderers, rapists anything [among them].”
“I understand that they’ve come from bad places but what about local people who are hard done by?” another demanded.
“To put foreign nationals in an army barracks and give them health care and food is a disgrace when we’ve got homeless veterans on the street.
“We’re also in a pandemic, how’s it fair to increase the health care demands on local services?” he asked.
“Nobody knows how long they’ll be there for or how bad the pandemic might get, it’s a joke.”
Another resident had concerns about her “disabled son who plays outside… we don’t know much about the people going in the migrant camp.”
“Is it families or is it groups of men roaming the streets?” she worried.
KentLive seemed less than happy with the responses it was receiving on the doorstep, remarking that “Many of the people who opened their doors to us upheld opinions some would describe as bigoted.”
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