DPG instructed to advise in potential challenge to new asylum centre at RAF Wethersfield

29 Mar DPG instructed to advise in potential challenge to new asylum centre at RAF Wethersfield

Posted at 12:56h in Ahmed Ali, Emily Soothil, Human rights, Lawyers, News, Refugees and Migrants, Sue Willman by Ali

DPG has been instructed to advise in relation to a potential challenge to the Home Office’s proposal to house 1,500 asylum seekers in military ‘camp’ style accommodation in a remote RAF airfield.

Our client is a local resident who has lived in Wethersfield since childhood and cares deeply about the local area, its history and natural environment. He believes that housing asylum seekers on this remote site is a damaging plan which will not only significantly harm the asylum seekers themselves but will add unprecedent strain to the local area and damage the environment.

A decision by the Home Office in relation to this is expected imminently and the first asylum seekers could be moved onto the military base as early as Saturday 1 April 2023. It is understood that this is part of a wider plan to move asylum seekers out of hotels and into military bases or disused ferries.

Emily Soothill of Deighton Pierce Glynn stated:

“Government inspectors, parliamentarians, health experts and many others have highlighted the harmful effects of housing asylum seekers in military barracks. Asylum seekers should not be segregated or subject to isolated, military style accommodation in an unsafe location. Our client is therefore seeking to challenge the Home Secretary’s purported attempt to circumvent planning laws using emergency powers to establish unsuitable accommodation for asylum-seekers without consulting local people and the local planning authority.”

The proposed Claimant is represented by Sue Willman, Dan Carey, Emily Soothill and Ahmed Ali of Deighton Pierce Glynn, instructing Alex Goodman and Charles Bishop of Landmark Chambers. This team have recently brought successful claims against the Home Secretary for her unlawful use of Napier Barracks in Kent and Penally Camp in Wales.

Our client is Crowdfunding to cover the costs of bringing the proposed legal challenge here:
https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/stop-the-inhumane-asylum-camp/