The Ministry of the Interior delays the plan to house asylum seekers in military bases

The Home Office has delayed plans to house asylum seekers at two military bases in East Sussex and the Scottish Highlands.

Some 540 men were to be sent to Crowborough Army Training Camp and a further 300 men to Cameron Barracks in Inverness.

The UK government originally wanted to move asylum seekers in early December as part of its campaign to close asylum hotels.

The Interior Ministry said it wanted to avoid hasty plans that would lead to “unsafe and chaotic situations.” He said he would proceed when the facilities were “fully operational and secure.”

Crowborough and Cameron Barracks were designated earlier this year as possible temporary accommodation for asylum seekers.

In East Sussex, Wealden District Council, the local authority, passed a motion formally opposing Crowborough’s proposal.

Highland Council also raised concerns about the scale of the barracks plans and the pressures on local services.

The 140-year-old base, near Inverness city centre, was previously used to house families fleeing Afghanistan.

The Interior Ministry said it still planned to “accelerate” the movement of people.

But he said he would not do so at the expense of the safety of local communities.

A spokesman added: “We are furious at the level of illegal immigrants and asylum hotels.

“The move to large military sites is an important part of our reforms to address removing the incentives that attract illegal immigrants to Britain.

“We continue to accelerate plans to move people to Cameron Barracks, when it is fully operational and safe.

“We will continue to work closely with representatives and local authorities during this transition.”

Widespread protests against the accommodation of asylum seekers in hotels broke out across the UK over the summer.

In Scotland, protests took place outside hotels housing asylum seekers in Perth and Aberdeenshire, as well as in Falkirk, during August.

A brick was thrown through the window of the Cladhan Hotel in Falkirk in September, months after hundreds of pro- and anti-immigration protesters held rival demonstrations outside.

The city’s Park Hotel was also targeted after a former resident, Sadeq Nikzad, was sentenced to nine years in prison for the rape of a 15-year-old girl.

Highland Council officials recommended writing to the Home Office to seek “urgent clarity” on the proposals in early November.

Local authorities had previously said that starting in the second week of December, about 60 people per week could arrive at the barracks.

They said the plan was to use the site for 12 months, before it reverted to a military base.

But a report also expressed concern about the scale of the proposal, the potential for protests and barracks to become a target for people “who deliberately wish to incite violence and hatred.”

A council spokesperson said: “A multi-agency partnership involving the council, NHS Highland, Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Scottish Government, Cosla and the Home Office is now meeting weekly to plan for the arrival of asylum seekers and learn from best practice.”