Rishi Sunak pledges to axe 'inappropriate' Linton-on-Ouse asylum centre plan

Mr Sunak, who is MP for the neighbouring constituency of Richmond, said he would tell the Home Office to seek an “alternative solution” to the current proposals for a former RAF base in Linton-on-Ouse, which could become the home of up to 1,500 single male asylum seekers.

The former Chancellor said he agreed with local concerns that it is “not appropriate” to house hundreds of asylum seekers in the village.

Mr Sunak said: “This plan clearly does not have local support and I am concerned that the availability of the site has taken precedence over its suitability.

“That is why I will ask my Home Secretary to review the plans so that an alternative solution can be found.

“My plan to take back control of our borders will mean that local communities and the taxpayer will no longer have to bear the brunt of our broken immigration system.”

The proposal for Linton-on-Ouse was put forward by Boris Johnson and current Home Secretary Priti Patel in April as part of what was labelled a ‘New Plan for Immigration’.

The Government argues that the centre is required as part of an attempt to fix the country’s “broken asylum system”.

Currently, around 37,000 people are living in hotels as they await decisions on their migration status, costing the country £4.7m per day.

The Home Office has said the Linton scheme would be designed to be “as self-sufficient as possible” as part of efforts to minimise the impact on local communities and services. As part of that effort, a “bespoke” health service involving GPs, dentists, chemists and opticians would be created for the asylum seekers.

The Linton site would only be for single male asylum seekers who would be free to come and go as they please during the day but are expected to be on site overnight from 11pm onwards.

There has been a furious reaction locally to the plan, with Hambleton Council considering legal action.

Local MP Kevin Hollinrake, who represents Thirsk and Malton and is backing Mr Sunak in the leadership contest, said last month all of the Conservative leadership candidates had expressed concerns about the Linton-on-Ouse plans during a hustings with MPs.

Mr Sunak’s announcement is set to increase pressure on his leadership rival Liz Truss to publicly set out her position on the issue.

Despite his opposition to the Linton scheme, Mr Sunak has already publicly backed another controversial element of the current Government’s immigration plan - that of sending some asylum seekers to live in Rwanda. He has said he would seek to get the Rwanda programme off the ground and look to expand it to other countries.

Writing in the Daily Telegraph last month, Mr Sunak said: “As Chancellor, I funded the Government’s Rwanda Policy because it is the right one, but it has to work. Crucially, we cannot waste large sums of taxpayers’ money on the policy only to fall at the first legal hurdle. I will make the policy work and will do whatever it takes to implement it and pursue additional similar partnerships.

“We also need to have a better, more efficient way of dealing with those who do come here illegally. It simply isn’t right that the government is spending hardworking taxpayers’ money housing illegal migrants in hotels. We need to urgently clear the asylum backlog and I will set a target that 80% of claims are resolved within six months.”

Mr Sunak’s 10-point immigration has also promised to tighten the definition of who qualifies for asylum in the UK and pledges that “no adult who enters the UK illegally will have a route to remain in the UK”.

He has also suggested he would look at “novel ways” of housing migrants waiting for claims to be processed, including the use of cruise ships.

But Whitehall sources told The Times last month that the idea, first put forward by Mr Sunak in autumn 2020, were “laughed off the table” due to the “astronomical” potential cost and legal concerns.

It was also claimed that Mr Sunak had blocked plans to build a network of purpose-built reception centres modelled on the system used in Greece when he was the Chancellor.

Scotland turns to cruise ship to house Ukrainian refugees

Rishi Sunak’s idea of using cruise ships to house asylum seekers has previously been condemned by Liz Truss’s team - but a similar scheme to house those fleeing the war in Ukraine has recently been put into use in Scotland.

The Truss campaign said last month that the proposal would breach international law and human rights legislation. But due to a lack of suitable housing, a cruise ship docked in Edinburgh has recently started housing Ukrainian refugees. The MS Victoria can house up to 2,000 people.

Shona Robison, cabinet secretary for social justice, housing and local government, said last month: “We do not want people spending more time in temporary accommodation, such as the ship, for any longer than is absolutely necessary. But we want to make them as comfortable as possible during their stay.”

At The Yorkshire Post, we are committed to speaking truth to power on behalf of the people who call God’s Own County their home. Our political team and Westminster Correspondent are Yorkshire's eyes and ears in the corridors of power.

If you’d like all the latest political news straight to your inbox, you can sign up to our newsletter for free at: https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/newsletter