Hundreds protest against plans to house 600 migrants in army camp as young cadets face being forced out

A slew of protests were sparked by the plan to move migrants to the site
HUNDREDS have taken to the streets in a protest against plans to house migrants in an army camp as it’s revealed cadets could be booted off the site to make room.

The Home Office plans to move the asylum seekers to a military site on the edge of Crowborough, East Sussex by the end of next month.

Locals are up in arms over the hurried relocation of the migrants after hundreds of criminal offences have been linked to asylum seekers this year alone.

The plans sparked a flurry of protests in the community as residents turned out in their hundreds flying English flags and holding placards to protest the move.

This marks the third week of protests as the local community desperately try to make their voices heard, hundreds have taken to the streets yet again this morning.

Today six hundred protesters wore numbers to signify the amount of asylum seekers expected at Crowborough Army Camp next week.

Crowborough is one of two sites earmarked to house small boat arrivals in possibly a matter of weeks.

And, to add insult to injury, the future of several cadet detachments based at the site has now been thrown into question in the face of the plans.

Concerns have been raised around the safety of the young soldiers if the migrants are relocated to the base.

It comes after reports that at least 200 residents in asylum hotels had been charged with various criminal offences, including sexual assaults, up to August this year.

Adult cadet instructors are considering suspending training in the wake of the announcement.

The senior instructors say they don’t believe they can ensure the safeguarding of the cadets when the migrants arrive.

As the site prepares to take on the migrants large fences have been erected and security guards have been spotted patrolling the area with dogs.

Despite a lack of security training parents and cadet instructors have reportedly been patrolling the site themselves.

These community patrols are carried out around pick up and drop off time for the cadets.

Crowborough Shield, a resident’s group campaigning against the housing of asylum seekers on the site has said cadets at the site “will be displaced, with no alternative location offered.”

Kim Bailey, who chairs the group, said residents could have the asylum seekers dumped on them with as little as 48 hours notice.

Locals claim they had no warning of the plans to move asylum seekers in only finding out when it was leaked to a newspaper.

They say detail about the plans has caused “fear and worry” among the community, home to around 22,000 people.

As their protests continued Wealden district council backed a motion to oppose the plans formally.

The Crowborough camp does not have a permanent military population but is used as temporary accommodation for troops and cadets who make use of the nearby training area.

Cadets from 1414 squadron Air Cadets, No8 Crowborough Army Cadet Force, a Royal Marines Cadets detachment and a cadet training centre are based at the camp.

The MoD told the Telegraph it takes the “safety and wellbeing of all cadets extremely seriously and that it “continues to work with the Home Office to assess the potential impact that housing asylum seekers on military bases could have on our Cadet Forces.”

Crowborough locals have been seen sporting signs with messages such as “stop rewarding, start deporting”.

Others said: “Protect our town, protect our communities and protect our families and stop 600 illegal immigrants coming to Crowborough”.

“Home office think again this is so wrong” said another placard.