On a rainy morning in Crowborough, East Sussex, the normally quiet town found itself at the center of a heated national debate. Thousands—by some estimates, hundreds—of protesters gathered on November 23, 2025, to voice their opposition to government plans to house up to 600 single male asylum seekers at the Crowborough Army Training Camp on the town’s outskirts. The demonstration, the second in a series of three organized by local residents, was marked by passionate speeches, chants, and a visible police presence, but remained peaceful throughout, according to Sussex Police and multiple news outlets including BBC and GB News.
The Home Office’s proposal, first announced in October, is part of a national effort to end the controversial use of hotels for accommodating asylum seekers—a pledge the government hopes to fulfill before the next general election. Instead, the Ministry of Defence offered up the Crowborough site, which can house up to 540 men (though some reports put the number as high as 600), for a period of twelve months. Cameron Barracks in Inverness was also offered as part of the same initiative. According to a Home Office spokesperson, "It is why work is under way to move asylum seekers into more suitable accommodation such as military bases, to ease pressure on communities across the country. Public safety remains our first priority."
The government’s assurances, however, have done little to quell local anxiety. Protesters marched through the town center to Chapel Green, some carrying union jacks, Sussex county flags, and signs reading messages like "detain process deport." Chants of "Crowborough says no," "send them home," and "protect our community" echoed through the streets. Organizers asked participants to wear individual numbers, each representing one of the migrants who could soon arrive in the town. The demonstration drew support from national campaigners, but many attendees insisted their motivation was rooted in local concerns, not broader political agendas. As one protester, Ken Adams, told the BBC, he was there to "protest against the government's ill-advised decision," adding that successive governments "should have sorted this out."
Speakers at the rally included Nick Tenconi, leader of UKIP, and Sarah White, a member of Advance UK. Some speakers went so far as to encourage residents to "form patrols" and stop paying council tax—a call that, while alarming to some, drew cheers from parts of the crowd. The protest’s tone reflected a deep unease among many locals, who fear the impact of such a large influx of single men into a small community. Wealden District Council, the local authority, has taken a strong stance against the plan. On November 20, 2025, the council voted unanimously to oppose the government’s proposal and indicated their readiness to pursue legal action. Council leader James Partridge articulated the town’s apprehensions at a recent meeting, stating, "There has been a strong reaction against the proposals from many people who live in Crowborough. They are justifiably very worried about what would happen if 540 single men arrive to stay in the town with very little to do all day in accommodation which is not suitable. The risks are obvious, and the information about mitigations provided so far by the Home Office has not allayed people's fears."
In a further step, Wealden District Council served a planning contravention notice against the Home Office, seeking to determine whether there are legal grounds to challenge the use of the camp under planning law. As the council explained, such a notice is a preliminary move to identify possible breaches, but enforcement actions cannot proceed until a breach is actually established.
The government, for its part, has promised strict controls. All asylum seekers slated for transfer to the Crowborough site will undergo mandatory security and criminality checks using biometric data, and the facility will be monitored by 24-hour security staff. A Home Office spokesperson told BBC, "We have committed to close every asylum hotel and as part of this we are working to move asylum seekers into more suitable accommodation such as military bases." The Home Office also emphasized ongoing engagement with local authorities and stakeholders to address the concerns of those most affected by the plan.
Not all reactions to the protest were supportive. The campaign group Stand Up to Racism voiced unease about the involvement of far-right factions from outside Crowborough, warning that such groups were "pouring far-right rhetoric into our local community, further inflaming tensions." In a statement, the group said, "Organisers (of the protest marches) want to project the idea that Crowborough is universally unwelcoming to these asylum seekers. We know that hundreds of people are working to set up groups and work with organisations to ensure that, if these plans go ahead, the asylum seekers will be welcomed by the community."
Despite the charged atmosphere, police reported no arrests during the demonstration. Sussex Police, who had anticipated the event, worked to minimize disruption and confirmed that the protest remained peaceful. "A planned peaceful protest took place in Crowborough on Sunday morning. There were no arrests," a police spokeswoman told Sky News.
The debate over the Crowborough Army Training Camp reflects broader national tensions around asylum policy, local control, and the government’s response to rising numbers of people seeking refuge in the UK. The use of hotels to house asylum seekers has long been a flashpoint, criticized by both local communities (who cite strains on resources and social cohesion) and refugee advocates (who argue that hotels are unsuitable for long-term accommodation). The shift to military bases is intended to address both sets of concerns, but as the Crowborough protests demonstrate, the transition is far from smooth.
As the government pushes ahead with its plan, it faces not only legal and logistical obstacles but also the challenge of rebuilding trust with communities like Crowborough. Whether the camp will be up and running by the end of November, as hoped, remains to be seen. For now, the town stands as a microcosm of a national debate—one where voices on every side are determined to be heard, and where the outcome is anything but certain.
