A Highland MSP is calling for a multi-party meeting to discuss plans to house 300 male asylum seekers at Cameron Barracks in Inverness.
The Highland Council has been notified that Cameron Barracks will be used to house around 300 asylum seekers on a phased basis for up to a year from December.
Local Conservative MSP Edward Mountain said nearby residents deserve more information on the Home Office plans, which were announced on Monday.
“People feel really upset that the government haven’t approached people with this”, he told STV News.
“Just to say you’re getting 300 young male asylum seekers in the Highlands and expect there not to be some kickback would be entirely wrong.”
STV NewsThe military base dates back more than 140 years.
In recent times, it’s played host to Afghan families as a place of refuge after evacuation from Kabul.
The UK Government says it will house 300 men in Inverness and around 600 more at another base in Sussex as a means of stopping the use of hotels.
Highland Council said it had no prior warning and has raised concerns about what it calls community cohesion.
“The UK Government should be honest to the people of the Highlands and say there are going to be burdens and we’re going to help you with that”, Edward added.
“We’re going to invest more in NHS Highland, we’re going to invest in dentistry and GP and at the end of this 12-month period, we will hand these barracks back to the people of Inverness and the Highland Council so we can end up with the housing we need.
“That’s the kind of positives that I want to negotiate with the Highland Council.”
STV News‘Handled shambolically’
The Barracks will require more than £1m of work to refurbish the buildings before the planned move.
The Highland Council said the Government indicated the local authority will have “no direct role” in supporting the asylum seekers after their arrival.
Inverness Councillor Isabelle MacKenzie has echoed disappointment at how it has been handled.
“This has been handled shambolically”, she said. “It’s a lack of communication and a lack of community engagement.
“People who are elected through the local council should be first-hand in knowing what’s going on. Especially if I’m representing the Milburn ward, we should know exactly what’s going on.
“I feel this time round it’s been kept very in the dark.
“Cameron Barracks may be vacant at the moment, but it’s used; it’s an active armed forces place, and I know it gets used intermittently.
“We need to have the full briefing and communication, but we need to get real answers to the questions we have here. Why Inverness? Why to Cameron Barracks, in the middle of a school environment.
“There are lots and lots of questions, but fundamentally, it’s the safety that I am concerned about, the safety of people who are living here who have huge concerns.”
The Home Office says it’s working closely with local authorities, and a special meeting of the Highland Council will be held next week to discuss the issue.
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