Plans by the UK Government to relocate hundreds of asylum seekers to military barracks in Inverness have ignited a heated debate across Scotland, with concerns about community cohesion, local consultation, and the broader direction of national asylum policy taking center stage. The move, announced on October 28, 2025, will see around 300 single male asylum seekers housed at Cameron Barracks on a phased basis starting in December, for a period of up to one year. This is part of a larger initiative that will use two military sites—one in Inverness and another in East Sussex—to accommodate about 900 men in total, according to statements from both the Home Office and Highland Council.
The decision comes as the UK Government accelerates efforts to end the use of hotels for asylum accommodation, a practice that has attracted widespread criticism for its soaring costs and its impact on local communities. As of June 2025, approximately 32,000 asylum seekers were living in hotels across the UK—a significant decrease from the 2023 peak of over 56,000, but still 2,500 more than the previous year. The expected costs for Home Office accommodation contracts between 2019 and 2029 have ballooned from £4.5 billion to a staggering £15.3 billion, reflecting what the Commons Home Affairs Committee described as a “dramatic increase” in demand.
Highland Council, which was notified of the plans only days before the public announcement, has voiced serious reservations about the scale and speed of the proposal. In a joint statement, council convener Bill Lobban, leader Raymond Bremner, and opposition leader Alasdair Christie said, “Our main concern is the impact this proposal will have on community cohesion given the scale of the proposals as they currently stand. Inverness is a relatively small community but the potential impact locally and across the wider Highlands appears not to have been taken into consideration by the UK Government.” The council emphasized that it has “no direct role” in supporting the asylum seekers after their arrival, as the barracks are not owned by the council or any local public sector partner.
Community cohesion has emerged as a key concern, given the relatively small population of Inverness—about 83,000 residents—and the sudden influx of hundreds of new arrivals. The asylum seekers, described as “non-detained,” will be free to leave the site, but their asylum applications will not be processed at the Inverness location, a detail the council worries could “create more disruption.” The barracks, which sit on a hilltop near the city center and close to Raigmore Hospital and local businesses, were previously used to house Afghan families evacuated during the 2021 Kabul withdrawal, with that work ending earlier this year.
Local and national politicians have responded with a mix of concern, support, and criticism. Angus MacDonald, Liberal Democrat MP for Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire, expressed support for the use of military sites in principle but questioned the choice of a city-center location, telling BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, “It’s effectively the same. I very much thought the idea of putting them in army camps was to have them out of town, and make them less of an issue for the local population.” Fergus Ewing, Independent MSP for Inverness and Nairn, reported receiving “numerous messages from constituents expressing deep concern, distress and anger,” and emphasized that the decision had been made without local dialogue or reassurance about safety and support arrangements.
Scottish Conservative MSP Edward Mountain described the plan as a “back-of-a-fag-packet idea,” criticizing the lack of consultation, while Ariane Burgess, Scottish Green MSP, called the move “deeply disrespectful to both asylum seekers and Highland communities.” On the other hand, some residents have taken a more pragmatic view. Courtney Wilson, a local mother, said, “I’ve not got huge concerns. We’ll see what happens and go from there. As long as everyone stays friendly and keeps the peace.” Shopkeeper Roddy Morrison added, “If the barracks are empty and these people need somewhere to live I don’t see why not use the barracks rather than putting them in hotels.”
At the national level, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has made clear his intention to close all asylum hotels and transition to more “suitable sites” to ease pressure on communities and reduce costs. Speaking to BBC North West Tonight, he said he was “really pleased” that more asylum seekers would be housed on military bases “by the end of this year,” and instructed officials to “go faster, go further” in locating appropriate sites. Downing Street, however, has declined to specify whether the use of barracks will actually save money, noting that costs will “vary from site to site.” Defence Minister Luke Pollard described the military sites as “not luxury accommodation by any means,” but “adequate for what is required.”
The Scottish Government has urged the Home Office to work closely with Highland Council and other service providers, with Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville stating, “We have raised our concerns about the suitability of the site with them and have urged them to engage closely with Highland Council and other service providers.” The government’s stance is not against the use of military sites in principle, but it insists that prior consultation and careful planning are essential to ensure both community wellbeing and the dignity of asylum seekers.
Refugee advocacy groups have been among the most vocal critics of the move. The Scottish Refugee Council, through its chief executive Sabir Zazai, condemned the plan as “yet another short-term measure from a system that urgently needs long-term, humane reform.” Zazai argued, “The Home Affairs Select Committee has already criticised the Home Office’s approach to asylum accommodation, highlighting its lack of planning, compassion, and accountability. This latest move demonstrates that those lessons have not been learned. Instead of investing in a fair and effective system that treats people with dignity, the Government continues to pursue stop-gap solutions that risk further harm.”
Charity Care4Calais also weighed in, with chief executive Steve Smith warning that placing asylum seekers in military sites would “only serve to retraumatise more people who have already survived horrors such as war and torture.” The organization, along with other advocacy groups, has called for long-term, compassionate strategies that prioritize integration, engagement, and respect for people seeking sanctuary.
Since 2016, Highland Council has supported various resettlement schemes, including the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme for Syrian families, the Afghan resettlement programme, and more recently, the accommodation of Ukrainian refugees following the Russian invasion. As of June 2025, the Highland local authority area, with a population of 236,330, hosted 143 people under the Afghan scheme and 438 Ukrainians. Across Scotland, 6,107 asylum seekers are currently present, with the vast majority—4,152—living in Glasgow.
The plan to use Cameron Barracks highlights the mounting pressures on the UK’s asylum system and the complex trade-offs between national policy, local impact, and humanitarian responsibility. As the Highland Council prepares for a special meeting on November 6, the debate in Inverness and beyond looks set to continue, with all sides calling for a solution that balances community interests with the rights and dignity of those seeking refuge.
