The Government should axe Linton-on-Ouse asylum centre plans before protests take place

The majority of people see the plans to house asylum seekers at the former RAF based in Linton-on-Ouse for what they are, ill-advised. The people of this small North Yorkshire village thought that the matter had been put to bed in 2022 when the Tories were forced to abandon a similar plan.

The Labour Government’s attempts to revive the plans are staggering. The Prime Minister talks about fairness when it comes to communities having to share the burden of the migrant crisis. But the people of Linton-on-Ouse have already articulated why their village simply cannot cope with an influx of hundreds of migrant men.

The idea that they would all remain contained at the former RAF base is fanciful. The need for the Government to engage with villagers is apparent, as concerns are raised over potential protests. North Yorkshire Police has said officers are ready to deal with any criminality during protests but there are concerns about resources for policing weekly protests.

This is about the people who live in the village. Troublemakers must not be allowed to hijack the legitimate concerns of people in Linton-on-Ouse.

Previous protests have shown that villagers are not driven by political motives but rather by the suitability of housing asylum seekers at Linton-on-Ouse and the peaceful nature of them were a reminder that they are far from troublemakers.

The Linton Village Action Group which organised the previous campaign is expected to be resurrected, however there are also fears that more hardline protesters from outside the area could target the planned asylum centre. The former RAF base would be turned into a camp for around 1,300 asylum seekers, roughly double the size of Linton-on-Ouse. That is neither sustainable nor fair. The Government must see the error of its ways.