Suella Braverman slams government plans to house asylum seekers in Fareham flats

The Conservative MP for Fareham said using Wates House in Wallington Hill would also “place pressure on local services and potentially pose a public safety risk” - raising concerns over antisocial behaviour, pressure on public services and a lack of consideration to locals.

Ms Braverman has since written a scathing letter about the plans for the block, which Petersfield-based Homes Estate Agents previously said had 29 uniquely designed flats, after her questions to the Home Office went unanswered.

The former Home Secretary had asked for information about the individuals who would be housed on-site, including their ages, the proportion of single males versus families, their countries of origin, and the nature of the background checks that had been completed.

She also wanted to know about the suitability of Wates House for housing such individuals, the risk assessments conducted, and the rationale behind choosing the location.

But she slammed the response as “wholly inadequate” and providing “no meaningful answers”.

“After consulting with Fareham Borough Council, it is abundantly clear that your plan is entirely inappropriate,” her letter to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said.

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“I object, not only to the principle of housing asylum seekers in this manner but to the complete lack of consideration given to local people. The location is wholly unsuitable, the pressure on local public services will be intolerable, and the absence of adequate local support networks makes this proposal deeply irresponsible.”

She also claimed the building's fire safety provisions were “wholly inadequate” and, with the issue being of the “gravest concern”, did not want anyone being subject to that risk.

“I am also deeply concerned about the inevitable rise in antisocial behaviour that would result from this ill-advised decision,” she added. “Residents already feel a growing sense of insecurity, and this plan will only exacerbate this.”

She also slammed the Government's “utter disregard and flagrant contempt for the concerns of my constituents are both alarming and infuriating” and called for “strong border policies” as the situation has “spiralled out of control”.

In a written reply to the MP’s initial questions, Home Office minister Angela Eagle blamed the former Conservative government as Labour “inherited an asylum system under exceptional strain”.

Since being elected, she said Labour had restarted asylum processing, been tackling the people-smuggling gangs, cracking down on illegal working across the country, and increasing the return and removal of people with no right to be in the UK.

She also pointed to the most recent data, which showed 28 asylum seekers were being accommodated in Fareham borough as of September 30, up from eight five years ago. This compares with 733 in Portsmouth, 16 in Gosport, 17 in Havant, five in Eastleigh and 301 in Southampton.

“The safety and wellbeing of the local communities in which asylum accommodation is located is of paramount importance,” Ms Eagle said, adding the Home Office does conduct mandatory identity, criminality and security checks, and tries to minimise the impact on the local community.”