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The UK Government is facing a backlash after a Scots army base "surrounded by housing" was chosen to accommodate hundreds of asylum seekers . Labour ministers have committed to ending the use of hotels to temporarily house refugees while their applications for settled status are considered. It follows a spate of high-profile protests across the country against the practice, which have led to multiple arrests. The Home Office announced late last night it will now use two barracks in Scotland and southern England would be used to accommodate about 900 men temporarily. The plans will see men housed at Cameron Barracks in Inverness and Crowborough Training Camp in East Sussex. But the city's MP has now questioned whether the Highland base is secure enough for such a purpose. Angus MacDonald said: "The Cameron Barracks are not an appropriate location to house a large number of migrants. It is as inappropriate as a city centre hotel. “Cameron Barracks is surrounded by housing and only a ten minute walk to the High Street, it is secured only by a modest fence. Will security still be maintained by the army? "There is a risk that this causes major upheaval in the city centre while only housing a tiny fraction of the numbers awaiting processing. "The Conservatives trashed the immigration system, allowed backlogs to spiral out of control and removed us from international agreements which allowed us to send migrants back where they came from. "I have still not had any formal confirmation from the Home Office about these proposals but I am pursuing answers on this and have requested an urgent question in the House of Commons." MacDonald added: "We need a much quicker court system for processing backlogged cases, like the Nightingale centres set up during Covid. "Rather than shuttling people to Inverness, this Labour Government should focus on fixing the root of the problem by speeding up asylum decisions so that those with no right to be here are returned swiftly, and those with valid claims can start working, integrating, and contributing to our communities." It comes after UK defence minister Luke Pollard appeared to suggest that the cost of moving migrants into the bases could be higher than housing them in hotels. The Labour MP said: "Some bases are small, some bases are larger in terms of numbers, but I think the conversation around the bases that are in the news today is about proving this concept, is about seeing whether this works. "We believe that these bases can provide adequate accommodation for asylum seekers.” Pollard also stressed the standard of accommodation: "This isn’t luxury accommodation by any means, but it’s adequate for what is required, and that will enable us to take the pressure off the asylum hotel estates and enable those to be closed at a faster rate.” He later added that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) was working with the Home Office “on standing up a number of bases at the moment”. Senior figures on Highland Council have also questioned the Home Office decision. In a joint statement, councillors on the local authority said: "Highland Council understands this property will be used as transitional accommodation from early December 2025 for up to 12 months. "The first written confirmation, which was used as the basis of a briefing for key partners by Home Office officials, was received by the Council on October 27 and was confidential. "The Home Office is the lead agency for resettlement, and decisions regarding the use of Cameron Barracks are made by the MOD and Home Office alone. The UK Government has indicated that the Council has no direct role in supporting the asylum seekers after their arrival. "The leader of Highland Council wrote to the Home Secretary last week to request confirmation and additional information. To date we have not received a response. "The UK Government have informed us that their accommodation will be self-contained, with all necessary services provided on site. The asylum seekers are 'non-detained', meaning they will be free to leave their site should they wish. "Their intention is to use the barracks for short-term accommodation before people are moved to dispersed housing around the UK to await the outcome of their asylum applications. The Home Office has informed us that asylum applications will not be processed in Inverness, which will create more disruption." To sign up to the Daily R ecord Politics newsletter, click here
