Legal challenge over East Sussex asylum seeker accommodation dismissed by High Court
The Home Office described the case as "misconceived"
The High Court has dismissed a legal challenge brought by a residents' group against the Home Office's plan to use a military training camp in East Sussex as accommodation for asylum seekers.
Crowborough Shield, a community interest company, sought to challenge the Government’s proposal to house up to 540 men at the camp in December, before a January decision confirmed the plan.
The group's legal action questioned the authorization process and labelled the decision as "unlawful."
However, the Home Office described the case as "misconceived" and "premature."
Mr Justice Mould ruled on Friday that the challenge was indeed premature, noting it was based on assumptions and lacked a clearly determined policy at the time action was launched.
He criticized the group for not discontinuing the claim after the Home Office's January decision but acknowledged that this decision could still be legally scrutinized.
Justice Mould said, "There would be no real prejudice to the claimant, or any other putative claimants, in bringing judicial review proceedings against the actual decision made."
The Home Office has detailed its security measures at the site, including 24/7 security with CCTV and health and police checks for residents.
Data from the Home Office shows a decrease in asylum seekers housed in UK hotels, with 30,657 staying at the end of December, marking a 15% drop from the previous quarter.
There were also 2,010 asylum seekers in contingency accommodation such as barracks, the lowest number since late 2022.
Additionally, the backlog of asylum claims is at its lowest in over five years.