The first group of asylum seekers are expected to be sent to a Sussex town’s army barracks in a matter of weeks, amid the local council joining legal action against the plans.
Ministers and officials are understood to be preparing the Crowborough military base to house 540 male migrants in the New Year.
The Home Office had hoped to start using the cadet camp in December, but those plans were delayed to ensure the site was safe, reported The Guardian.
Its mooted usage has sparked protests from thousands of locals who have taken to the streets for seven consecutive Sundays to march in opposition.
Earlier this month, Crowborough Shield, a community-led campaign group, lodged an application for a full judicial review of the decision to house migrants at the camp.
Now the local council has joined the legal action, placing serious pressure on the government to rethink its plans.
In a statement, Wealden Borough Council said it ‘strongly objected’ to the Home Office plans.
A spokesman said: ‘We have sent papers to the High Court as an interested party in the Crowborough Shield legal action to tell the court of our strong objection to the proposed use of the camp and to highlight our ongoing concerns about a lack of communication and engagement by the Home Office.’
Crowborough Shield, which has raised more than £72,000 to pay legal fees, says there has been a lack of transparency surrounding the decision and have raised serious concerns about staffing at the camp, police provision and the impact on health services.
A spokesperson said: ‘We are seeking judicial review to overturn the decision. Our position is that the government’s actions breach the community’s common law rights to justice and procedural fairness.
‘We rely on Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights which protects our right to a fair hearing. Our position is that residents have been denied the opportunity to understand, scrutinise, or challenge the decision-making process.’
Last week, the government confirmed that no asylum seekers would be moved to the camp before the New Year and said it still hadn’t made a final decision on the plans.
In a letter to the council, the Home Office wrote: ‘The final decision on whether to use the Crowborough site for accommodating asylum seekers has not yet been taken, and we are instructed that this will not happen before Christmas, and the site will not be occupied this year.’
Earlier this month, a group of residents were branded ‘vigilantes’ after they set up a patrol to tackle anti-social behaviour.
The Crowborough Patrol will wander the town centre day and night wearing hi-viz jackets and red baseball caps.
Patrol members have joined thousands of residents in the market town who have marched through the streets against the move.
Work has already started on making the army cadet training camp fit to house 540 asylum seekers, with accommodation, toilet blocks and security fencing being erected.
A group of protesters staged a picket at the entrance to the camp in an attempt to challenge workers carrying out construction.
Police were called after an alleged confrontation between a protester and a worker attempting to leave the camp ended in a report of assault.
Sussex Police had to issue a temporary section 34 dispersal notice giving officers powers to order people to leave roads surrounding the barracks.
Chief Supt Nick Dias said a 44-year-old man from Heathfield was arrested on suspicion of violent disorder.
The camp itself has a proud history going back to the war, when it was used by Canadian forces preparing for D-Day.
Residents, especially those who live on their own, say they are installing panic alarms in their homes over safety fears.
The Home Office has apologised for its handling of its plans to use the Crowborough camp to house asylum seekers, but says it is determined to stamp out the use of hotels to house migrants.
