Northeye Prison Bexhill, to be used as Migrant Detention Centre
The news on Thursday 31 August that the Home Office are looking to change the proposed use of the old Northeye Prison in Bexhill back to a prison for so-called illegal migrants, though they want to call it ‘a detention centre’, demonstrates the Home Office continues to look at the migrant issue through the wrong end of the telescope.
Three months have passed since the Home Office first announced they wanted to use Northeye to house migrants, three months when the Home Office has presided over asylum applications rising to over 175,000.
The Home Office is proposing to house new migrants at Northeye who, under the new Illegal Migration Act are automatically deemed illegal, because they came to the UK via small boats. This is regardless of any legitimate claim they may have to asylum here. Under this Act their rights are denied contrary to international law and contrary to the UN Refugee Convention of which the UK is a party. Our Illegal Migration Act is therefore itself illegal under international law.
Huw Merriman, the local MP, says that a total rebuild of the site will be needed and offers a meaningless sop to local businesses and workers by saying they may benefit from the rebuilding work. However, he ignores the fact that Northeye is an allocated site for 140 houses and sports facilities, houses that are needed to meet the Government’s own targets.
The current Government has arrogantly given itself many powers against which there is little or no recourse. It can override all local planning powers and controls if it wants to, as it is doing in the Northeye example. It can serve up any building contracts to whomsoever it desires. Our rights to protest have been drastically curtailed.
Liberal Democrats have called for the repeal of the Illegal Migration legislation, the establishment of legal routes, an extension of the Ukrainian resettlement scheme to other migrants, permitting asylum seekers to seek work, thereby removing the cost of their housing from the Exchequer, and faster processing of asylum claims, and the abandonment of the Rwanda scheme.
The combination of these measures would do more to save taxpayers’ money, remove the need for Northeye, and undermine the people smugglers’ economic model than the current Government's policy of inhumane demonisation and hate speech.
Instead, we have the Government introducing ever more draconian laws and constantly harping on about the cost of keeping people in hotel accommodation, instead of doing something positive to solve the problem, in the true British spirit of compassion and humanity for others.
6 September 2023
Stephen Hardy MBE Chair Bexhill and Battle Liberal Democrats
6 George Close Robertsbridge TN32 5BY
07831494028