Britain abandons plan to house 1,500 migrants in former RAF base

Defence minister claims Home Office has alternative options to accommodate asylum seekers

A banner in Linton-on-Ouse, North Yorkshire, calling for the plan to be overturned. PA

A plan to house 1,500 asylum seekers in a disused military base in Yorkshire that proved controversial has been scrapped.

UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace confirmed he had withdrawn the offer to convert a disused Royal Air Force base at Linton-on-Ouse into a home for asylum seekers that was nicknamed as Guantanamo-on-Ouse by critics of the plan.

Migrants whose asylum cases failed could have been put on the deportation flights to Rwanda — another UK policy that has attracted a storm of criticism.

News that Linton was no longer being considered came during the campaign to become leader of the Conservative Party, and with it prime minister.

Rishi Sunak, chancellor until he became one of the first ministers to resign from government in a wave that ended Boris Johnson’s leadership, said he would ask the Home Office to find an alternative solution to using the site in Linton-on-Ouse.

Mr Wallace, who supports Liz Truss in the leadership contest, was asked about Mr Sunak’s proposal.

"I have withdrawn the offer of that site to the Home Office," the defence chief said. "It was one of, I think, five sites we offered at the time, when Rishi Sunak was in government, and he was certainly supportive of it at the time. He isn't now, interestingly enough.

“He didn't oppose it when he was in government, so that's a new surprise. I think because he's not in government, he won't know what's been going on.

The Home Office was going to move 1,500 asylum seekers into Linton-on-Ouse. AFP

"I have obligations to do something else with that site, and you know there are other sites we made available to the Home Office if they wish to take it up."

The Home Office had intended moving 1,500 asylum seekers into Linton-on-Ouse — more than doubling its population — but after a campaign from local residents no one was relocated to the North Yorkshire town.

The plan moved from imminent to withdrawn in less than three months.

Councillor Darryl Smalley called the programme “Guantanamo-on-Ouse” and demanded that the government backtrack, calling it “ill thought out”.

Thousands of people complained about the project and the local police force had been carrying out daily patrols to reassure residents.

Kevin Hollinrake, MP for Thirsk and Malton, said: “People do not feel safe. I think those fears are rational.

“In any cohort of 1,500 young single men, there will be some who do not play by the rules.”