Ministers are continuing with plans to house asylum seekers on former Ministry of Defence sites, saying the locations remain the best available option despite opposition from nearby residents.
The approach centres on using ex-military land or facilities to provide accommodation for people seeking asylum. The government has presented the former defence sites as its preferred solution for meeting housing needs within the asylum system.
The plans have prompted protests from people living close to the sites. Their opposition has not led ministers to change course, with the government maintaining that the former MoD locations are the most suitable option.
The issue places ministers at the centre of a dispute between the need to provide accommodation for asylum seekers and concerns raised by local communities near the sites being used.
The latest position is that the government intends to press ahead with the policy, while protests from residents nearby continue to form part of the public response to the plans.
