Labour is facing mounting opposition to plans to house about 1,200 asylum seekers at a disused military base in a small North Yorkshire village, with a local MP warning that the site is fundamentally unsuitable.
Rachael Maskell, Labour MP for York Central, has written to Home Office minister Anna Turley and is due to meet officials this month to argue against using RAF Linton-on-Ouse. She said politicians across parties were “absolutely clear” that the site was inappropriate, citing pressure on water, sewage and electricity infrastructure.
The proposal is part of a wider government plan to place about 3,750 asylum seekers across three former military sites. The move comes as ministers consider a broader redistribution of asylum accommodation away from poorer areas.
Andy Burnham, the prime minister, has argued that more affluent parts of the country should “play their part” in accommodating asylum seekers. Turley has acknowledged that concentrating accommodation in poorer communities has contributed to civil unrest.
The government is also reportedly considering raising rent caps for privately contracted asylum accommodation, potentially allowing providers to secure properties in more expensive areas currently excluded by Home Office limits.
A Downing Street source said Burnham regarded the existing distribution as unfair, while acknowledging that a more geographically balanced system would cost more.
Local opposition at Linton-on-Ouse is particularly sensitive because similar plans were abandoned in 2022 after fierce resistance. Campaigners argue the site has deteriorated since then and lacks the infrastructure needed to support a large population.
Malcolm Taylor, a local Conservative councillor, said families had moved to the village after the previous proposal was dropped, believing the issue had been settled.
The dispute exposes a central dilemma for Labour: military sites can keep asylum seekers concentrated and away from local communities, but the government’s limited capacity means tens of thousands may still require accommodation elsewhere.
With ministers promising a fairer distribution, the political battle is shifting from whether asylum accommodation should expand to where the burden should fall — and who should pay for it.
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