{"id":9,"date":"2025-05-02T11:53:08","date_gmt":"2025-05-02T10:53:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/?p=9"},"modified":"2025-07-31T20:29:59","modified_gmt":"2025-07-31T19:29:59","slug":"latest-news-on-barracks-and-similar-accommodation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/latest-news-on-barracks-and-similar-accommodation\/","title":{"rendered":"Latest news on barracks and similar accommodation"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id9_59046c-f7 .kb-table-of-content-wrap{padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);background-color:#e7e7dd;border-top:1px solid #d0d0d0;border-right:1px solid #d0d0d0;border-bottom:1px solid #d0d0d0;border-left:1px solid #d0d0d0;border-top-left-radius:0.5rem;border-top-right-radius:0.5rem;border-bottom-right-radius:0.5rem;border-bottom-left-radius:0.5rem;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id9_59046c-f7 .kb-table-of-contents-title-wrap{padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id9_59046c-f7 .kb-table-of-contents-title{font-weight:regular;font-style:normal;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id9_59046c-f7 .kb-table-of-content-wrap .kb-table-of-content-list{color:#1b67a1;font-weight:regular;font-style:normal;margin-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-xs, 1rem);margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id9_59046c-f7 .kb-table-of-content-wrap .kb-table-of-content-list .kb-table-of-contents__entry:hover{color:#111111;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id9_59046c-f7 .kb-table-of-content-list li{margin-bottom:8px;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id9_59046c-f7 .kb-table-of-content-list li .kb-table-of-contents-list-sub{margin-top:8px;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id9_59046c-f7 .kb-toggle-icon-style-basiccircle .kb-table-of-contents-icon-trigger:after, .kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id9_59046c-f7 .kb-toggle-icon-style-basiccircle .kb-table-of-contents-icon-trigger:before, .kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id9_59046c-f7 .kb-toggle-icon-style-arrowcircle .kb-table-of-contents-icon-trigger:after, .kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id9_59046c-f7 .kb-toggle-icon-style-arrowcircle .kb-table-of-contents-icon-trigger:before, .kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id9_59046c-f7 .kb-toggle-icon-style-xclosecircle .kb-table-of-contents-icon-trigger:after, .kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id9_59046c-f7 .kb-toggle-icon-style-xclosecircle .kb-table-of-contents-icon-trigger:before{background-color:#e7e7dd;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id9_59046c-f7 .kb-table-of-content-wrap{border-top:1px solid #d0d0d0;border-right:1px solid #d0d0d0;border-bottom:1px solid #d0d0d0;border-left:1px solid #d0d0d0;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id9_59046c-f7 .kb-table-of-content-wrap{border-top:1px solid #d0d0d0;border-right:1px solid #d0d0d0;border-bottom:1px solid #d0d0d0;border-left:1px solid #d0d0d0;}}<\/style>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Napier barracks to close, Wethersfield stays open<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Napier barracks, one of the first mass accommodation sites opened to house asylum seekers, is to be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/uk-news\/2025\/mar\/19\/mass-asylum-seeker-accommodation-at-napier-barracks-kent-to-close\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">closed<\/a> in September after years of controversy about conditions there, including a mass Covid outbreak, decrepit facilities and far-right protests. A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/uk-news\/2021\/jun\/03\/napier-barracks-asylum-seekers-win-legal-challenge-against-government\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">high court ruling<\/a> in 2021 found that the site did not meet \u201cminimum standards\u201d. The Guardian has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/uk-news\/2025\/mar\/26\/remember-the-good-work-of-volunteers-and-staff-at-napier-barracks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">a readers\u2019 letter<\/a> explaining how volunteers have helped asylum seekers there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wethersfield, a remote military base in Essex, continues to operate without a confirmed end date. Three asylum seekers were found to have been accommodated there <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/c1lp7nzllm2o\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">unlawfully<\/a> in a recent high court ruling, although the judge found in the Home Office\u2019s favour on most of the broader points of the challenge. The case is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bailii.org\/ew\/cases\/EWHC\/Admin\/2025\/596.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">TG &amp; Ors v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2025]<\/a>. Free Movement has <a href=\"https:\/\/freemovement.org.uk\/high-court-finds-that-three-men-were-unlawfully-accommodated-at-wethersfield\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">more details<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meanwhile, the Home Office confirmed it is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gbnews.com\/politics\/migrant-crisis-keir-starmer-raf-wethersfield-essex\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">looking into ways to expand the base<\/a> even though Keir Starmer vowed to close the Essex facility. RAF Wethersfield currently houses around 540 migrants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Home Office settles Manston inquiry judicial review<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Home Office has settled the judicial review claims that sought an independent inquiry into events at Manston barracks in 2022. The claims were brought by individuals detained at Manston, when there were widespread concerns around overcrowding and poor conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The claimants included families, lone women and people with various forms of trauma. The claims had been due to be heard in January 2025. A copy of the sealed order disposing of the claims is available from Free Movement <a href=\"https:\/\/freemovement.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Order-by-Court-Officer-Consent-Order-1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">&#8216;They wanted help, we gave them a prison boat&#8217;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In openDemocracy, Sian Norris <a href=\"https:\/\/www.opendemocracy.net\/en\/bibby-stockholm-profits-conservative-government-hostile-environment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">talked<\/a> to people about their experiences on the Bibby Stockholm barge, whose last asylum-seeker resident left in November.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBye bye, Bibby Stockholm,\u201d says Right to Remain <a href=\"https:\/\/righttoremain.org.uk\/bye-bye-bibby-stockholm\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">in a blog<\/a> on the barge\u2019s departure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Napier barracks to close, Wethersfield stays open Napier barracks, one of the first mass accommodation sites opened to house asylum seekers, is to be closed&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","slim_seo":{"title":"Latest news on barracks and similar accommodation - Housing Rights","description":"Napier barracks to close, Wethersfield stays open Napier barracks, one of the first mass accommodation sites opened to house asylum seekers, is to be closed in"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-asylum-accommodation"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}