Northeye: Public meeting over asylum seeker site proposal

A public meeting over plans to turn a former East Sussex prison into a detention centre for illegal migrants is being held on Friday.

A decision on the Northeye site, on the outskirts of Bexhill, was due to be made in January.

However, Bexhill and Battle MP Huw Merriman said it was unlikely the necessary surveys would be completed by the end of the month.

He recognised there "may still be demand" for a public meeting.

The Home Office announced in March 2023 it was seeking to bring forward proposals to open an accommodation centre on the site of a former prison.

Last summer, Mr Merriman said the site would only be used for "detained" migrants, so they would not be "free to come and go".

The former prison site, which is about 30 metres from a housing estate, would provide accommodation for up to 1,200 men.

At a previous meeting, organised by Bexhill Town Council, Janet Fisher said she had moved to Bexhill because she felt safe, but people were now "terrified" by the proposal.

Resident Sue Williams said people fleeing war and persecution should be treated with compassion but the site was "inappropriate".

Mr Merriman said he was holding the meeting despite an imminent decision as he believed there was "still demand" for one.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "We are committed to the removal of foreign criminals and those with no right to be in the UK.

"We are exploring the use of the Northeye site at Bexhill for detention purposes and assessments are being undertaken to consider the feasibility.

"No final decision has been made."

"We are working with local stakeholders to ensure that any facility is delivered in a way which minimises the impact on the local community," the spokesperson added.

The meeting will be held at St Augustine's Church in Bexhill on 26 January and doors will open at 1730 GMT.

Follow BBC South East on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].