Inside the town polarised by ‘toxic opinions’ over asylum accommodation plans

Residents in the West Sussex town of Crawley are split over “toxic opinions” on asylum housing, with some saying the town “probably needs” to follow in the footsteps of Piddington, Oxfordshire, and hold a symbolic referendum on leaving the UK over the issue. Both areas are located close to ex-military sites that are, or have been, used to house asylum seekers. However, other locals expressed surprise at the outrage they have seen, with some telling The i Paper that the discourse around the issue has developed into “a very toxic environment and toxic opinions”. The Government recently approved plans to convert Ministry of Defence (MoD) Bicester into asylum housing for up to 1,256 men, drawing ire from the residents of Piddington, who earlier this year held a symbolic vote to secede from the UK over the issue. Why are tensions high in Crawley? Crawley is home to several asylum hotels and is also 15 miles from the Crowborough Army Camp, which will house up to 540 single male adult asylum seekers. Despite upset and opposition from Crawley residents, earlier this month the Home Office submitted plans to continue using Crowborough as asylum accommodation until January 2030. Sky News also reported this week that a taxpayer-funded minibus service has been taking asylum-seekers on days out from Crowborough to the larger Crawley in an attempt to ease local tensions. When asked about the story, Karen Bradley, chairman of the Cross-Party Home Affairs Select Committee, said: “Minibuses being put on to enable people to get out, I’m not sure is a good use of taxpayers’ money.”Pushback from locals over the past couple of months has led to the planned closure of two asylum hotels in Crawley. The Home Office announced in October that both the George Hotel and the Copthorne Hotel are set to close in December, following lobbying by East Grinstead and Uckfield MP Milms Davies, who presented a parliamentary petition on the issue. Davies said the news was “huge” for Copthorne. ‘They need to be housed somewhere in a civilised manner’ Despite the controversies surrounding Crowborough and asylum hotels, some residents have argued that opinions about asylum accommodation have become “toxic” and that some people are “bleating for the sake of bleating.” “We need a solution, to be honest,” said Melvin Powell, 59, a local recruiter. Asked his opinion about the use of Crowborough as asylum accommodation, Powell said: “People don’t want to hear it, but we need a solution to the problem. “Everyone is, in my opinion, bleating for the sake of bleating. It needs to be fixed, it needs to be sorted, they need to be processed, and in the meantime, they need to be housed somewhere in a civilised manner.” Asked whether the atmosphere in Crawley mirrors that of Piddington’s, Powell said: “Yes, there is a vibe which I disagree with. I think it’s a very toxic environment and toxic opinions that people have got.” Discussing Piddington’s symbolic referendum on leaving the UK, Powell said he thought the idea was “a waste of time.” “It’s not gonna have any substance to it, all it does is voice an objection and nothing’s gonna happen from it except it will make the news,” he added. Powell said he believes the Government needs to “pull their finger out and process people a lot quicker,” adding that he believes speeding up processing will “ease a lot of stress and aggravation.” ‘If you’re willing to work, that’s fine, but no freebies on our system’ Rachel, a hairdresser, has lived in Crawley for 40 years and says she believes opinions in Crawley are similar to those in Piddington. “Talking to a lot of my customers, a lot of them are pretty upset because they have young children and their families are struggling,” she said. Rachel said that people shouldn’t be allowed ‘freebies on our system’ (Photo: The i Paper) She argued the Government needs to “look after your own”, adding: “I’m all for immigration, and there are lots of people coming in and doing good jobs, like at the NHS. “If you’re willing to work, that’s fine, but not to just get freebies on our system.” The extension to Crowborough might cause ‘hysteria’ Marlon Carpenter, 52, a machine operator, moved to Crawley in the 70s and said he is surprised at the amount of outrage he has seen in Crawley despite the fact that the town is “quite a cosmopolitan place.” Carpenter, whose parents are Jamaican, said he has seen demographics change significantly since first moving to Crawley, adding that back then “there were only about five West Indian black people here”. Asked about what reaction residents might have to the use of Crowborough being extended to 2030, he said: “That’s not going to go down too well.” Machine operator Marlon Carpenter thinks the issue of immigration is ‘fickle’ (Photo: The i Paper) “That might cause a bit of hysteria,” he added. Asked if people will start to speak out, Carpenter said: “Not start, they already are. “These hotel owners that sign up to this are getting all this money from the likes of me and you, and their hotels wouldn’t be full all year round, would they?” Asked what the Government should do about the issue, Carpenter said: “Well, it gets a bit fickle, immigration, doesn’t it? “Look at Australia. Australia is built on immigration, but it’s really hard and strict to get in there, and this is immigrants telling immigrants.” Another resident, Angela, 61, said: “I think a lot of people are not very happy. “It’s hard when you’re working and paying your taxes and you’re seeing other people not really doing that. She added that there “probably needs to” be a symbolic referendum to leave the UK in Crawley. Asked if there’s anything the Government could do to address Crawley residents’ concerns, Angela said: “It’s already too late.”