Piddington village protests asylum seeker accommodation in barracks — Politico Europe
In the United Kingdom, residents of the village of Piddington, north of Oxford, held a symbolic referendum on leaving the country. In this way, they are protesting plans to accommodate up to 1,250 asylum seekers in barracks near the village. A total of 285 people voted for “independence,” while 26 voted against.
As Politico Europe reports, the vote has no legal force. At the same time, the initiative has attracted the attention of right-wing politicians and could become an example for other communities near former military sites that authorities are considering as temporary accommodation for asylum seekers.
Dispute over the barracks
The plan concerns a Ministry of Defence site in Bicester. The British government is seeking an alternative to hotels that housed thousands of people while their asylum applications were being considered. The use of hotels and houses of multiple occupation has already sparked protests in various communities.
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Charities working with refugees describe housing people at such bases as inhumane. At the same time, Labour Party MPs from northern England, where communities have been hosting asylum seekers for a long time, are urging the government not to abandon this approach. One of them told the publication that former military bases could be a practical solution in terms of security and efficiency.
Right-wing support and residents’ concerns
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch visited Piddington and supported the residents. She linked the issue of housing asylum seekers to the Conservatives’ position on the United Kingdom leaving the European Convention on Human Rights. Badenoch also said that her party would seek parliamentary votes to oblige Labour MPs to support such accommodation sites.
Reform UK representative Zia Yusuf and Rupert Lowe of Restore Britain also visited the village, while Elon Musk commented on the situation on X. Local residents expressed concern over a threat by far-right activist Daniel Thomas, known as Danny Tommo, to bring 5,000 men and set up a camp near the Ministry of Defence site to oppose the arrival of asylum seekers. Representatives of the parish of Barnham in Suffolk have already met with Piddington parish council chairman Tim McNally to discuss a similar symbolic vote against plans for the nearby Royal Air Force base.
