A defence minister has hinted at a possible reconsideration of RAF Scampton as a potential location for housing asylum seekers, although this idea was formerly discarded. Luke Pollard, minister of state for the Ministry of Defence, posited that all locations, even those previously evaluated by the Home Office, are being assessed as the government strives to lessen their dependency on hotels for asylum seeker accommodation. The earlier notion of using the ex RAF Scampton site in Lincolnshire, which was initially proposed by the Conservative government and subsequently dismissed by Labour, was part of a broader programme to use military sites for this purpose. Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, censured the ‘asylum camps’ concept, opting instead for quicker and fairer asylum decisions and incorporation into communities. Gainsborough MP Sir Edward Leigh remains against reusing Scampton, while Sarah Carter from the Save Our Scampton campaign, affirmed her pledge to persist in opposing such proposals. It’s worth noting that the prior attempt to employ the site came with a hefty price tag, with costs surmounting to at least £48 million.
This story was adapted by The Lincoln Post from original reporting by www.bbc.com.
