Overview
- Reports say the Ministry of Defence will transfer Cameron Barracks in Inverness to the Home Office on January 12 to accommodate up to 300 single adult men seeking asylum.
- The plan is part of the Home Office drive to close asylum hotels and shift people into alternative government-run sites, according to an official statement.
- Many soldiers based nearby are scheduled for overseas deployment early next year, leaving spouses and children next to the facility once it opens.
- Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp has written to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood seeking details on vetting, risk assessments and protections for nearby schools.
- Highland councillors and military families cite a lack of consultation and reference recent crime cases in pressing for safeguards, while protests were held in November.