Cadets leave base planned for male asylum seekers

Two cadet groups have held their final parades at a training camp the government intends to use as accommodation for male asylum seekers.

There have been several protests against the now delayed plans to house up to 540 asylum seekers at the site in Crowborough, East Sussex.

On Wednesday, the Army Cadet unit using the base held its last parade before moving out, with the Air Cadets doing the same on Thursday.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said it took the "safety and wellbeing of all cadets extremely seriously" and was "scoping options" for them to continue.

Rachel Millward, deputy leader of Wealden District Council, and deputy national leader of the Green Party, told BBC Radio Sussex: "It's such a valuable part of our community, it's so important for those young people and their families."

Millward said the government had a "casual attitude" to dealing with the issue which was "now shifting".

She added: "They failed to take this seriously, they failed to listen to our concerns, they failed to communicate properly, and they failed to plan this whole ridiculous idea."

The Home Office has published an extensive explanation of its plans for the site, emphasising it is a temporary measure.

A spokesperson said: "Moving to large military sites is an important part of our reforms to tackle illegal migration and the pull factors that make the UK an attractive destination."

They said they were continuing to "accelerate" plans to move people into Crowborough and Cameron Barracks, when the sites were "fully operational and safe".

They added: "We will not replicate the mistakes of the past where rushed plans have led to unsafe and chaotic situations that impact the local community."

An MoD spokesperson said: "The government takes the safety and wellbeing of all cadets extremely seriously.

"No final decisions have been made regarding cadet activity around the site and we are scoping options to ensure activity can continue with minimal disruption.

Meanwhile, it said the MoD would continue to work with the Home Office to assess the potential impact housing asylum seekers on military bases could have on cadet forces and to develop any "necessary mitigating actions".

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