This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . The next check for changes will be

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5ypzlm5yv0o

The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Napier Barracks: Former military base to continue housing asylum seekers Napier Barracks: Former military base to continue housing asylum seekers
(about 2 hours later)
A former military base in Kent will continue to house asylum seekers despite previous concerns about poor living conditions. A former military base which houses asylum seekers in Kent, which had been due to close in September, may now stay open until December.
The Home Office was due to stop using Napier Barracks in Folkestone to accommodate migrants applying for asylum from September, but has since decided to extend its use until the end of the year. The Home Office confirmed it is considering extending its use until the end of the year, despite previous concerns about poor living conditions.
The former military site in Folkestone has been used to accommodate asylum seekers since 2020, despite being described by a judge as "squalid" in 2021. The site in Folkestone has continued to accommodate asylum seekers since 2020, despite being described by a judge as "squalid" four years ago.
The decision to extend its use comes in the wake of a High Court judgement that barred the use of a hotel in Epping to house asylum seekers - and could pave the way for similar legal action over other hotels. The Guardian reported earlier this month that the site would remain open beyond September.
Napier Barracks started out as contingency accommodation for migrants seeking asylum at the start of the Covid pandemic. Successive governments have grappled with how and where to house asylum seekers while their applications are being considered.
But in 2021, following a fire and outbreak of the virus at the site, a High Court judgement found the accommodation it provided was inadequate. Napier Barracks is one location the government uses for "contingency accommodation", which can be used when space in regular asylum seeker housing is in short supply.
Mr Justice Linden found that the barracks were overcrowded, run down with "filthy" facilities and contained "detention-like" settings for men. Napier Barracks has a maximum capacity of 328, while at the other former military site used to house migrants - Wethersfield airfield in Essex - it is 1,245.
The Home Office said the following year that it had made "significant" improvements to the site - but still faced calls from MPs for it to be closed. The government has increasingly relied on hotels to provide temporary accommodation. There are currently 32,000 asylum seekers being housed in hotels.
Under Labour, it said in March this year that Napier Barracks would cease operating as housing for asylum seekers in September. That deadline has now been extended until December. But a High Court judgement earlier this week barred the use of a hotel in Epping to house asylum seekers - potentially paving the way for similar legal action over other hotels.
A Home Office spokesperson said it was continuing "to fulfil our statutory obligations and deliver our commitments to reduce the cost of asylum accommodation, and end the use of asylum hotels by the end of this Parliament". The Home Office says it is working on identifying cheaper and more appropriate sites for asylum accommodation.
The announcement comes hours after the home secretary announced an overhaul of the asylum system aimed at cutting the number of people being housed in temporary accomodation while awaiting an asylum ruling. A High Court judgement in 2021 found the accommodation at Napier Barracks was inadequate, following a fire and Covid outbreak at the site.
Mr Justice Linden said the barracks were overcrowded with "filthy" facilities and contained "detention-like" settings for men.
Despite the Home Office saying that improvements had been made by the following year it still faced calls from MPs for it to be closed.
In March this year the government said the barracks would cease housing asylum seekers in September.
A spokesperson said the ministry was continuing "to fulfil our statutory obligations and deliver our commitments to reduce the cost of asylum accommodation, and end the use of asylum hotels by the end of this Parliament".
The announcement comes after the home secretary announced an overhaul of the asylum system aimed at cutting the number of people being housed in temporary accommodation while awaiting an asylum ruling.
Yvette Cooper said a new body of independent adjudicators would fast-track decisions on appeals, which currently take just over a year on average to be heard.Yvette Cooper said a new body of independent adjudicators would fast-track decisions on appeals, which currently take just over a year on average to be heard.
During this time, asylum seekers whose applications have been unsuccessful are accommodated at the taxpayer's expense. There are currently 32,000 asylum seekers being housed in hotels. During this time, asylum seekers whose applications have been unsuccessful are accommodated at the taxpayers' expense.
The government's pledge to end its reliance on hotels to house migrants follows protests across the UK over their use.The government's pledge to end its reliance on hotels to house migrants follows protests across the UK over their use.