INSIGHT Northeye Proposal

The Government should be prioritising safe and legal routes for processing asylum seekers making asylum applications, not trying to distract or delude the UK population by coming up with unrealistic headline grabbing ideas, which further demonise asylum seekers who have risked their lives to get here.

Opening up the near-derelict site at Northeye will do nothing to help the 160000 asylum seekers in the current asylum application queue.

This problem has been created by the Government. They should be prioritising the establishment of safe and legal routes for these desperate people seeking asylum from war and persecution. They should sort out the incompetence within the Home Office that is failing to deal with the applications promptly.

The Government should stop trying to score political points during the local election period, frightening local communities who have not been consulted and have received no reassurances. This blatant attempt to distract attention from Government failure risks creating great anxiety amongst our own residents and demonising asylum seekers who have risked their lives to get here.

Please see our full statement - Click here

Stephen Hardy MBE

Chair, Bexhill and Battle Liberal Democrats