Hours after the UK government confirmed the nationwide barracks strategy, Highland Council issued a rare joint statement criticising the lack of consultation over Cameron Barracks. Councillors said they were notified only on 27 October—one day before the public announcement—that up to 300 men would arrive in phased tranches from early December.
Leaders Raymond Bremner and Alasdair Christie warned that Inverness, with a population of 63,000, is ill-equipped to absorb such numbers without extra health, policing and language-support funding. They have convened an extraordinary council meeting for 6 November to debate legal options, echoing challenges mounted by West Lindsey District Council against RAF Scampton earlier this year.
The Home Office maintains that asylum seekers will be "non-detained" and free to leave the site, but the council says community-cohesion risks have not been assessed. Local business groups are divided: some hoteliers welcome reduced competition for rooms, while hospitality employers fear losing potential staff if claimants are housed outside the city centre.
Under the UK’s dispersal model, councils cannot refuse placements outright, but they can delay implementation by contesting fire-safety and environmental-health certificates. Should Inverness succeed in securing concessions—such as an upper occupancy limit or dedicated GP allocation—it may set a template for other local authorities faced with similar sites.
Employers sending staff to the Highlands for projects in energy, tourism or construction should anticipate short-term pressure on rental markets and public services this winter and factor potential delays into assignment planning and per-diem budgets.
Leaders Raymond Bremner and Alasdair Christie warned that Inverness, with a population of 63,000, is ill-equipped to absorb such numbers without extra health, policing and language-support funding. They have convened an extraordinary council meeting for 6 November to debate legal options, echoing challenges mounted by West Lindsey District Council against RAF Scampton earlier this year.
The Home Office maintains that asylum seekers will be "non-detained" and free to leave the site, but the council says community-cohesion risks have not been assessed. Local business groups are divided: some hoteliers welcome reduced competition for rooms, while hospitality employers fear losing potential staff if claimants are housed outside the city centre.
Under the UK’s dispersal model, councils cannot refuse placements outright, but they can delay implementation by contesting fire-safety and environmental-health certificates. Should Inverness succeed in securing concessions—such as an upper occupancy limit or dedicated GP allocation—it may set a template for other local authorities faced with similar sites.
Employers sending staff to the Highlands for projects in energy, tourism or construction should anticipate short-term pressure on rental markets and public services this winter and factor potential delays into assignment planning and per-diem budgets.
