Exclusive:Sir Keir Starmer defends housing asylum seekers at Inverness base as Labour candidate calls plan 'bizarre'

Sir Keir Starmer has defended the UK government’s plans to host asylum seekers at a military barracks in Inverness - after the local Labour MSP candidate branded the move “bizarre”.

The Prime Minister said he was planning to house 300 men at Cameron Barracks “to get people out of hotels”.

He said the UK government was “processing the claims to get people out of the country where they've got no right to be here”.

Sir Keir Starmer has defended the plans. Photo: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire

But Shaun Fraser, Labour’s Holyrood candidate for Inverness and Nairn, described the proposal as “a bizarre one given its status as a 19th-century military installation”.

Inverness MP Angus MacDonald said the barracks was “not an appropriate location to house a large number of migrants”, while Highland Council has raised concerns over “community cohesion”.

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When asked if he understood why people were worried about the plans, Sir Keir told The Scotsman: “Yes, what we need to do is to make sure that we reduce the accommodation need for as many asylum seekers as possible.

“We were left with a complete mess by the Conservatives, who left tens of thousands of asylum seekers who hadn't been processed. So that means they couldn't be removed if they had no right to be here.

“The most important thing to get across is we're processing the claims to get people out of the country where they've got no right to be here. That's the right thing to do. In the meantime, we do need to get people out of hotels and that is why we are taking this step.

“But my intention, my determination, is to get these cases processed and to remove people who've got no right to be here.”

Holyrood candidate Mr Fraser said: “It's essential that the government drives down the use of hotels to house asylum seekers and that alternative safe solutions are looked at. There is MoD [Ministry of Defence] housing nearby which many Afghan families fleeing the Taliban moved into and integrated really well locally.

“However the proposal of Cameron Barracks itself is a bizarre one given its status as a 19th-century military installation.

Cameron Barracks in Inverness | Wikimedia Commons

“This situation has been brought about due to the inaction of the Tories on asylum over several years and the slow processing of asylum claims in their final years in government has led to an enormous build-up of applications to deal with.

“The crucial thing with all of this is to ensure that local services are properly supported to deal with any increased demand.

"It's a desperate legacy of Tory inaction that the UK government now has to utilise ageing military infrastructure as emergency accommodation for asylum seekers, but it highlights how important it is that the queue of asylum applications is processed as quickly as possible. Cameron Barracks is not a long term solution.”

Mr Fraser previously worked in homelessness prevention for Inverness charity New Start Highland. This involved supporting Syrian refugee families successfully settle in the Highlands a decade ago.

Highland Council said it has been told that the property is intended to be used from December this year for 12 months.

The local authority has taken issue with the plans after a series of protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers across Scotland.

In a joint statement, council convener Bill Lobban, leader Raymond Bremner and opposition leader Alasdair Christie said: “Our main concern is the impact this proposal will have on community cohesion given the scale of the proposals as they currently stand.

“Inverness is a relatively small community but the potential impact locally and across the wider Highlands appears not to have been taken into consideration by the UK Government.”

According to the statement, notification came on Monday that the announcement of the plan was imminent and that those housed there would be “non-detained”, meaning they were free to leave the site should they wish.

Mr MacDonald, the Liberal Democrat MP for Inverness, Skye & West Ross-shire, said: "The Cameron Barracks are not an appropriate location to house a large number of migrants. It is as inappropriate as a city centre hotel.

“Cameron Barracks is surrounded by housing and only a ten-minute walk to the High Street. It is secured only by a modest fence. Will security still be maintained by the army?

“There is a risk that this causes major upheaval in the city centre while only housing a tiny fraction of the numbers awaiting processing.

"The Conservatives trashed the immigration system, allowed backlogs to spiral out of control, and removed us from international agreements, which allowed us to send migrants back where they came from.

“I have still not had any formal confirmation from the Home Office about these proposals, but I am pursuing answers on this and have requested an urgent question in the House of Commons. We need a much quicker court system for processing backlogged cases, like the Nightingale centres set up during Covid.

“Rather than shuttling people to Inverness, this Labour government should focus on fixing the root of the problem by speeding up asylum decisions, so that those with no right to be here are returned swiftly, and those with valid claims can start working, integrating, and contributing to our communities.”

SNP Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: "The Home Office is responsible for the provision of all asylum accommodation and we are aware that they are considering accommodating people seeking asylum in Cameron Barracks.

"We have raised our concerns about the suitability of the site with them and have urged them to engage closely with Highland Council and other service providers."

Local MSP Fergus Ewing said in a statement he has had “numerous messages” of “deep concern” from constituents since the news broke.

He said: “Many constituents have told me they are particularly worried about the proposed accommodation of several hundred men in such a central location, close to residential areas.

“They are especially concerned for safety of women and girls. These concerns are about safety and community capacity — not prejudice — and they must be taken seriously.”

Mr Ewing added: “I will be raising this issue directly with the First Minister and seeking a clear statement from the Scottish Government on whether they were consulted and what position they will take.

“I will also be urging the Scottish Government to oppose this proposal and to press the UK Government to reconsider what is, in my view, a wholly inappropriate plan for Cameron Barracks.”

Scottish Conservative MSP for Highlands and Island region Edward Mountain said: “Labour have abjectly failed to tackle illegal immigration – and this latest gimmick won’t change that.

“Keir Starmer promised to smash the gangs but has come up with no credible plan to stop illegal immigrants entering the UK.

“From illegal immigrants returning to the UK after being sent to France and sexual predators being mistakenly freed from prison rather than deported, to overseeing record numbers of small boats, his record is a dismal betrayal of voters.

“This latest back-of-a-fag-packet idea to house asylum seekers in Cameron Barracks will alarm people in Inverness. On top of the security concerns, this could ultimately place a huge burden on local services, especially housing.

“The plan, which nobody locally has been consulted on, is inappropriate and will have huge implications on the emergency services and especially our health services which are already creaking under the strain of providing care to Highlanders.”