The Home Office has been criticised for ‘cutting corners’ in its decision to purchase a £15m migrant camp in East Sussex, despite being warned that it’s deemed to be ‘high risk’.
The government spending watchdog has criticised the decision made to purchase the site despite the presence of asbestos, requiring lengthy remedial work.
The then Conservative government were under pressure to stop their policy of housing migrant seekers inappropriately, including in hotels. Then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that his government would work ‘to achieve this as quickly as possible’.
The Home Office purchased the Northeye site for £15m in 2023, more than double what the seller purchased it for just one year before. A diligence report reported that the site was a ‘high risk’, and that the cost of the repairs would be £20m. Despite being aware of this, the government continued with their decision, and to this date, no work has been carried out. It was initially intended for non-detained accommodation, however the government later decided that the site would be used for detain people awaiting removal.
The presence of the asbestos at the Northeye site raises concerns that asylum seekers living in these types of conditions are at risk of their rights being violated, with those who would be housed there subjected to dangerous and life-threatening health risks.
Sir Geoffrey Clifton Brown, the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee said: ‘I am concerned that the Home Office deviated from the standard practise, overlooked warnings about the condition of the site, and lacked expertise to properly oversee the purchase of the Northeye’.
These concerns have led some to question the Home Office’s handling of this purchase, and the government’s judgement, with a criticism on how taxpayer’s money is being spent. This has contributed to the ongoing backlog of asylum claims, leaving a significant number of people waiting for the outcome of their application. It remains unclear on what decisions will be taken for the future regarding the site.
