Linton on Ouse: "No final decision" taken on whether to open new asylum seeker centre, Home Office admits

The processing centre at Linton-on-Ouse was expected to operate from today, however, a letter from the Home Office seen by the Yorkshire Post sets out that “analysis and consideration of whether or not to accommodate asylum seekers at RAF Linton is ongoing”.

The proposals to house asylum seekers at the site - announced last month - has sparked outrage in the community and widespread calls for Ministers to reconsider their decisions.

The note, signed by a senior civil servant, reads: “I can confirm that no final decision has been taken by Ministers to accommodate asylum seekers at RAF Linton.

“I can confirm that where obligations relating to consultation with the Council, community and other stakeholders exist they will be fulfilled.”

It adds: “Analysis and consideration of whether or not to accommodate asylum seekers at RAF Linton is on-going.”

Last night the Home Office did not deny that the plans are yet to be rubber stamped.

A Home Office statement read: “As we continue to work on the plan for the asylum reception centre at Linton-on-Ouse, which will be as self-sufficient as possible, we continue to listen to community feedback.

“We maintain the site is urgently needed to provide essential asylum accommodation and will assist as we end the use of asylum seekers using hotels which are costing the taxpayer almost £5m a day.”

The local MP has welcomed the delay but said that the process has not been “well handled” throughout.

Kevin Hollinrake previously told The Yorkshire Post that he had been told to expect 60 asylum seekers on site from today but he had raised the issue with the Prime Minister last week who promised to “look at it again.

After being made aware of the letter Mr Hollinrake said last night: “What it infers is that they’re still thinking whether this is the right place to go to, so on that basis,.

“So I’m hopeful on that basis that they might be thinking again. At the 1922 [Committee of backbench MPs] last week I asked the Prime Minister about it and he said he’d look at it again.

“So both the letter and his words imply that they’re reconsidering not just how they do this but whether they do this, and that’s absolutely the right thing to do.”

When asked how he felt about the last minute change of direction, Mr Hollinrake added: “It’s not been handled well all the way through to be fair, I’ve been clear about that. But what we said all along is we want the Home Office to reconsider, there are apparent signs of them being willing to reconsider and we should welcome that.”

Speaking in the House of Commons last week, Mr Hollinrake accused the Home Office of treating villagers as “sacrificial lambs to a national policy”.