Several thousand demonstrators poured into the East Sussex market-town of Crowborough on Sunday, 25 January 2026 to protest against the government’s decision to convert nearby Crowborough Training Camp into large-scale accommodation for up to 500 single male asylum seekers.
The march set off from the former military site—which last week received its first 27 residents—and wound a 3-mile route into the town centre behind a banner reading “Crowborough says No”. While the Home Office argues that re-purposing disused defence estates is vital to end the costly use of hotels, local residents’ group Crowborough Shield says the plan was imposed with “zero transparency” and has launched a judicial review that has already crowdfunded more than £100,000. Protesters accuse ministers of bypassing normal planning rules by using emergency powers and warn that a remote, rural camp is unsuitable for vulnerable people who have recently crossed the Channel.
Tensions were heightened by the arrival of far-right agitators from outside the county, prompting a visible but largely low-key police presence. Community leaders—including former senior Home Office civil servant John Tate—voiced concern that legitimate local objections risk being hijacked by extremists, but insisted that genuine worries about security, healthcare capacity and economic impact were not being heard in Whitehall.
![Thousands march in Crowborough to oppose Home Office plan for asylum camp]()
For organisations having to rethink travel or relocation plans in light of such policy shifts, VisaHQ’s online platform can streamline the visa and immigration process. Its United Kingdom portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/) provides real-time guidance on entry requirements, biometric appointments and document submission, helping HR, mobility teams and even refugee advocates secure the correct paperwork quickly and stay informed as government rules evolve.
For global mobility and HR teams the demonstration is a reminder that the government’s drive to reduce hotel costs could reshape the geography of asylum support over the next 18 months. Companies that employ skilled refugees or depend on local services near proposed sites should monitor community relations and potential legal delays. In the short term, duty-of-care teams may need to reassure internationally-mobile staff posted to the South-East that protests are peaceful and transport links remain open, while suppliers operating on or near the camp should review their risk assessments and insurance cover.
Longer term, the outcome of Crowborough’s legal challenge will set a precedent for other MoD locations—such as Cameron Barracks, Inverness—earmarked for similar use. If courts find that emergency planning powers have been stretched too far, the Home Office could be forced back to the drawing board, prolonging hotel reliance and sustaining the £8 million-a-day accommodation bill that ministers have pledged to end.
The march set off from the former military site—which last week received its first 27 residents—and wound a 3-mile route into the town centre behind a banner reading “Crowborough says No”. While the Home Office argues that re-purposing disused defence estates is vital to end the costly use of hotels, local residents’ group Crowborough Shield says the plan was imposed with “zero transparency” and has launched a judicial review that has already crowdfunded more than £100,000. Protesters accuse ministers of bypassing normal planning rules by using emergency powers and warn that a remote, rural camp is unsuitable for vulnerable people who have recently crossed the Channel.
Tensions were heightened by the arrival of far-right agitators from outside the county, prompting a visible but largely low-key police presence. Community leaders—including former senior Home Office civil servant John Tate—voiced concern that legitimate local objections risk being hijacked by extremists, but insisted that genuine worries about security, healthcare capacity and economic impact were not being heard in Whitehall.
For organisations having to rethink travel or relocation plans in light of such policy shifts, VisaHQ’s online platform can streamline the visa and immigration process. Its United Kingdom portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/) provides real-time guidance on entry requirements, biometric appointments and document submission, helping HR, mobility teams and even refugee advocates secure the correct paperwork quickly and stay informed as government rules evolve.
For global mobility and HR teams the demonstration is a reminder that the government’s drive to reduce hotel costs could reshape the geography of asylum support over the next 18 months. Companies that employ skilled refugees or depend on local services near proposed sites should monitor community relations and potential legal delays. In the short term, duty-of-care teams may need to reassure internationally-mobile staff posted to the South-East that protests are peaceful and transport links remain open, while suppliers operating on or near the camp should review their risk assessments and insurance cover.
Longer term, the outcome of Crowborough’s legal challenge will set a precedent for other MoD locations—such as Cameron Barracks, Inverness—earmarked for similar use. If courts find that emergency planning powers have been stretched too far, the Home Office could be forced back to the drawing board, prolonging hotel reliance and sustaining the £8 million-a-day accommodation bill that ministers have pledged to end.
