Penally asylum camp 'significant cost burden' on police

Housing asylum seekers in a military training camp in Pembrokeshire has placed a "significant financial burden" on Dyfed-Powys Police, according to the force's Police and Crime Panel.

Panel chairman Alun Lloyd-Jones said policing the Penally camp involved 13,919 hours of officer time, including 9,681 overtime at a cost of £297,000, up to the end of December.

The total costs of policing protests at the camp were £685,000, the panel said.

The Home Office was asked to comment.

The panel is calling on the UK Government department to reimburse the force for the additional costs.

The Penally training camp, near Tenby, began to house up to 250 asylum seekers in September, including men from Iraq, Iran and Syria.

It has attracted multiple protests - some by far-right groups and some by concerned locals.

There have also been other protests in support of the asylum seekers, and some from asylum seekers themselves protesting against the conditions in the camp.

The panel states that under Home Office police funding rules special grants can be given to cover additional pressures, but only if the total cost of these pressures exceeds 1% of the force's net revenue expenditure for the year.

According to the Dyfed Powyd Police and Crime Panel, this would mean it would not be able to claim any additional grants from the Home Office to cover costs unless extra costs exceeded £1.129 million.

The panel is calling on Home Secretary Priti Patel, Policing Minister Kit Malthouse and MPs in the area - including the Welsh Secretary Simon Hart - to encourage the UK Government to fully reimburse Dyfed-Powys Police for all costs incurred in policing Penally camp - even if the costs are below this Home Office threshold.

The UK's Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration has begun an inspection of the use of hotels and army barracks as temporary accommodation for asylum seekers and is calling for evidence.