Asylum centre to operate for 'at least three years'

A proposed asylum centre at a former RAF station in North Yorkshire would be in use for "a minimum of three years" if approved, a government minister has confirmed.

The Home Office is considering using the former RAF Linton-on-Ouse site, near York, to house up to 1,200 asylum seekers - although no final decision has been made.

In a letter to North Yorkshire Council leader Carl Les, border security and asylum minister Anna Turley said if taken forward the site would be run by a "specialist provider of asylum accommodation" with round-the-clock security.

It was sent after Les wrote to the government to confirm a motion - passed unanimously at full council - opposing the proposed plan.

The motion, backed by all parties and independents, was put forward by Les and seconded by Malcolm Taylor, whose Huby and Tollerton ward includes Linton-on-Ouse.

In his letter, Les highlighted a number of issues with the site, including its rural location, proximity to an "established residential community", limited local infrastructure and impact on any future regeneration of the site, and urged the government to reconsider the plan.

In her response, Turley said the site site was subject to "detailed feasibility assessments" looking at the location and infrastructure, which could take several months to complete.

She went on to say, if approved, the provider would be "responsible for ensuring the safe and secure operation of the accommodation and for providing wraparound support that meets the essential health and wellbeing needs of the asylum seekers".

She said the safety and security of the local community and those who live and work on the site would be "of the utmost importance", with a "specialist and experienced provider of security services permanently on site 24/7".

She added that "no final decision to proceed will be taken until all necessary assessments, approvals and operational arrangements have been completed and thoroughly reviewed".

Meanwhile, campaigners from the Linton-on-Ouse Action Group have suggested operational costs for site would be "astronomical".

It claimed the cost for using the site for three years would be at least £403.4m, and suggested it would cost £423.29 per asylum seeker per night.

The "projections" were reached, the campaigners said, through comparisons to other large-scale asylum plans, including the scrapped scheme at RAF Scampton, and MDP Weathersfield, in Essex, which is being used as an asylum site.

But a Home Office spokesperson said officials do not recognise the figures.

They went on to say that government policy is to close every asylum hotel and move asylum seekers into basic accommodation, including ex-military sites.

According to the latest data, the number of asylum seekers housed in hotels dropped from more 32,000 in June 2025 to more than 16,000 in July of this year.

The spokesperson added: "Discussions around the use of this site remain in early stages and are subject to planning permission, feasibility assessments, and due diligence."

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