Home Office approach to Linton on Ouse asylum centre 'pretty much abuse of power' MP says

Kevin Hollinrake described residents of the North Yorkshire village as “sacrificial lambs to a national policy” when he spoke in a Parliamentary debate on the issue last night.

The centre at the former RAF base in the village is thought to be brought into use as early as next week, with local stakeholders having been told that the plan is for 60 people to be on site from May 31.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr Hollinrake, who represents Thirsk and Malton, opened the debate by saying “I must say, the Home Office has been willing to engage on this but I do see the approach they have taken as pretty much an abuse of power.

“It has been indifferent all the way along, it has been approached in a very intensive manner, and quite ill informed in terms of the issues we have seen on the ground.”

Summarising the proposals as one where the “availability” of a site has taken precedence over the “suitability” of a site, he said the centre is not right for residents or “for the asylum seekers either”.

“I’ve yet to find any agency that supports this facility in the location it is the police or local authorities, the community itself,” Mr Hollinrake said. “But crucially, the refugee agencies who attended all the public meetings I’ve attended, they’ve been very clear this is the wrong facility in the wrong place.

“And that cannot be right for the asylum seekers themselves, who will inevitably be - a small local village with no amenities other than a village shop - be bored.”

He called on Ministers to “look again” and “consult properly” before going ahead.

Responding in the debate, Home Office Minister Kevin Foster described Mr Hollinrake as a “strong champion for his constituents” but said the “asylum system is broken” and “not delivering value for taxpayers.”

“It is essential. we reform our current system to crack down on those who abuse our hospitality,” he added. “So we can focus on those in genuine need of help. And that’s exactly what the government is doing overall.

“Through the Nationality and Borders Act, and our migration and economic development partnership with Rwanda.”

He went on: “We do recognise the need for an open dialogue with the local community. And we put in place a programme of communications to keep people in and around Linton on Ouse informed alongside meetings for local people to attend and we do recognise the strength of feeling within the local community about this issue.”

Villagers in Linton-on-Ouse were not consulted on the plan before the Home Office announced it earlier this year, but have now been told they will be able to attend “drop-in” sessions at the new site after the Home Office admitted it was “on the back foot” at a meeting last week.