The Daily Mail has reported on the impact being experienced in Braintree, Essex, following the use of nearby RAF Wethersfield as a large-scale asylum accommodation centre.
The former military site, situated less than seven miles from Braintree, currently houses around 800 asylum seekers and is expected to expand to 1,250 residents. The report describes concerns among some local residents about groups of men regularly travelling by minibus from the site into Braintree town centre, with some residents saying they have felt intimidated.
The article also describes the wider tensions the development has created, including protests and confrontations involving campaigners and online content creators. It notes that there is no known record of convictions for serious incidents in Braintree linked to the camp, although an asylum seeker has been charged over an alleged assault on a woman and is due to stand trial.
For communities around Bicester, the report provides an important real-world example of the potential wider impact of placing a very large asylum accommodation facility close to an established town.
The Government’s proposal for MOD Bicester would similarly accommodate up to 1,250 single adult male asylum seekers. The experience of communities surrounding RAF Wethersfield reinforces our belief that the potential effects on Bicester, Ambrosden, Arncott, Piddington and surrounding villages must be properly considered before any decision is made.
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Daily Mail: The historic market town on the frontline of Britain’s migrant crisis being torn apart by hordes of listless men brought in on minibuses to hang around shops and spend their £9.95 taxpayer-funded weekly allowance
