The residents of a village near a former military base earmarked to house asylum seekers have left ministers in no doubt about the strength of their fears
Locals have organised to make their opposition to the asylum housing plans felt (Image: Joe Giddens/PA Wire)
Asylum seekers must be shared across the “entire nation”, a cabinet minister declared as residents in an Oxfordshire village demonstrate their opposition to housing migrants at a former military base. Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: “Where in the UK would want more of this? We’ve got to share this throughout the entire nation.”
A symbolic independence referendum has been organised in Piddington in protest at plans to house 1,256 male asylum seekers at a nearby former military base. An open letter by 133 women in Piddington has been sent to Westminster’s 266 female MPs, claiming they faced a “crisis” and voicing fears for their “safety, security and freedoms”. Mr Reynolds said there is “no imaginary place these people can go” while acknowledging “none of this is pleasant” in his Good Morning Britain interview.
Mr Reynolds argued that a “former military site is a far more suitable location” than a hotel in a city or town centre. The cabinet minister claimed “you can more easily see who’s coming and going from a site like that”.
Former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer declared the Conservative plan to send people who come to the UK illegally to Rwanda “dead and buried” upon arriving in Downing Street. Mr Reynolds insisted the Rwanda plan was not a solution for a system that was “completely out of control”.
He said: “None of this was being dealt with because there was this imaginary proposition that somehow people were going to be sent to Rwanda.”
Piddington voters decided to hold the unofficial referendum on July 4, the 250th anniversary of US Declaration of Independence by 96%.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood will be able to bypass local planning authorities if the Government uses the Urgent Crown Development Process.
Heidi Meakin, 61, a resident who has met with MPs from different parties to voice her concerns, told the Press Association she would no longer feel safe if the plans go ahead.
She said: “I wouldn’t leave my front door unlocked like I do.”
Gloria Brown, 69, who has lived in the village for 23 years, said she would feel “imprisoned”.
She said: “I’ve felt very emotional about it just lately, and it’s just not correct, and it’s totally unfair.”
RNLI shuts down UK lifeboat station after furious migrant protests erupt
Protestors branded RNLI volunteers “traitors” and accused the charity of operating a “collection service”.
Angry protests in Portsmouth this month (Image: Getty Images)
The RNLI has temporarily suspended operations at a Portsmouth lifeboat station after volunteers were subjected to physical and online abuse following protests over migrants brought ashore. Portsmouth Lifeboat Station in Eastney has been out of service since September 10, four days after two RNLI all-weather lifeboats brought 120 migrants to shore following their rescue in the English Channel.
The arrival sparked demonstrations near the station, with protesters branding RNLI volunteers “traitors” and accusing the charity of operating a “collection service”. Police remained at the station in the days afterwards as a precaution amid a surge in threats directed at the RNLI and its personnel. The backlash has also spread online, forcing Eastney RNLI to remove its Facebook page.
Several people have been charged with violent disorder following the late-night protest, while a number of police officers were treated for injuries sustained at the scene.
The RNLI has since taken additional steps to protect its volunteers, including advising some not to wear uniform or branded clothing in public.
The organisation has stressed that the temporary suspension has not left Portsmouth without search and rescue cover.
A charity spokesperson said: “Portsmouth Lifeboat Station has been temporarily off service since 10 September.
“We hope to have the lifeboat station back on service as soon as possible.
“Search and rescue cover continues to be provided through established contingency arrangements, including flank RNLI stations and other declared assets.”
The latest disruption comes after similar problems elsewhere, with Poole Old Lifeboat Museum also closing following incidents in which volunteers were verbally assaulted by anti-migrant protesters.
RNLI chief executive Peter Sparkes condemned the abuse, saying it had followed misinformation about the charity’s work.
Mr Sparkes said: “Recent events have generated deliberate misinformation and a misunderstanding about the RNLI – our purpose, our tasking, and particularly our lifesaving work in the Channel.
“Sadly, as a result, some of our volunteers and staff have been the subject of online and, in the worst cases, physical abuse.”
He criticised those responsible as people who “hide behind a balaclava or a keyboard”, describing their “action” as “wholly unacceptable”.
The RNLI said lifeboat stations can sometimes be temporarily unavailable due to maintenance or other operational requirements, with contingency arrangements in place to maintain rescue coverage.
The Portsmouth station remains temporarily out of service while those arrangements continue.
The protests followed the arrival of the 120 migrants at Eastney Point on September 6 after the two RNLI lifeboats picked them up while they were attempting to cross the Channel from France.
The RNLI lifeboat was denied access to Southampton and Portsmouth before the passengers were eventually landed at Eastney in Portsmouth.
News of the landing quickly spread, prompting demonstrators to gather near Portsmouth Lifeboat Station in opposition to the migrants being brought into the city.
The protest continued late into the night and descended into violence, with police officers injured during clashes. Multiple people have subsequently been charged with violent disorder.
The RNLI has faced criticism from anti-migrant protesters over its Channel rescue operations, despite the charity saying its role is to respond to people in distress at sea.
The hostility has extended beyond Portsmouth. Volunteers at Poole Old Lifeboat Museum were verbally assaulted during several incidents involving anti-migrant protesters, prompting the museum to close.
The RNLI has warned that misinformation about its work has contributed to abuse directed at staff and volunteers, and has advised them to exercise caution when deciding whether to wear its branded clothing.
The Express has contacted the RNLI for additional comment.