MacDonald comments on plans for Inverness migrant barracks camp

Commenting on reports that the UK Government plans to house up to 300 migrants in the Cameron barracks in Inverness, Angus MacDonald, MP for Inverness, Skye & West Ross-shire, said:

"The Cameron Barracks are not an appropriate location to house a large number of migrants. It is as inappropriate as a city centre hotel.

“Cameron Barracks is surrounded by housing and only a ten minute walk to the High Street, it is secured only by a modest fence. Will security still be maintained by the army?

“There is a risk that this causes major upheaval in the city centre while only housing a tiny fraction of the numbers awaiting processing.

"The Conservatives trashed the immigration system, allowed backlogs to spiral out of control and removed us from international agreements which allowed us to send migrants back where they came from.

“I have still not had any formal confirmation from the Home Office about these proposals but I am pursuing answers on this and have requested an urgent question in the House of Commons.

“We need a much quicker court system for processing backlogged cases, like the Nightingale centres set up during Covid.

“Rather than shuttling people to Inverness, this Labour Government should focus on fixing the root of the problem by speeding up asylum decisions so that those with no right to be here are returned swiftly, and those with valid claims can start working, integrating, and contributing to our communities.”

Neil Alexander, candidate for Inverness & Nairn said:

“A city centre site is not a long term solution. At best it is a sticking plaster. People in Inverness will not necessarily appreciate being the canary in the coal mine for Labour's new approach.

“Just at the point where Afghan families have been relocated, the site is being pressed into use again. It seems like there is no long term plan from Labour.

“We want the UK Government to declare the asylum backlog a national emergency and invoke the Civil Contingencies Act to set up Nightingale processing centres- similar to the Nightingale hospitals we saw during the pandemic. By speeding up the processing of claims, those centres could clear the backlog within six months.”