Exclusive: The Home Secretary faces renewed calls to close a controversial asylum seeker camp in Essex, described as “prison-like” by critics.
More than 70 refugee charities and human rights organizations are urging the government to shut down the former RAF Wethersfield base, calling it “unsafe and unsuitable” for housing asylum seekers.
The push comes weeks after the High Court ruled that housing three asylum seekers at the site was unlawful. Despite campaigners’ demands, the government has not yet set a closure date for the facility.
The Wethersfield camp has drawn comparisons to the now-closed Bibby Stockholm barge and the soon-to-shut RAF Napier site, with critics arguing that such facilities are inhumane and exacerbate trauma for vulnerable individuals.
In a letter organized by Asylum Matters, the coalition stated: “People seeking asylum should be housed in communities, not camps. Placing them in isolated, ex-military sites causes lasting harm to those who have already endured conflict, abuse, and trafficking.”
The letter also referenced the High Court’s recent ruling, which found that the site was unfit for survivors of torture and trafficking.
Signatories include Refugee Action, City of Sanctuary UK, the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, and the Runnymede Trust, among others.
One Labour MP said: “I’ve spoken to people housed at Wethersfield, and they described a mental health crisis there. Many have suffered extreme trauma—this is no place for them.”
With the Bibby Stockholm already closed and RAF Napier set to follow, campaigners say keeping Wethersfield open is “increasingly indefensible.”
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