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Protests in Leverington over Home Office asylum accommodation plans
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About 200 protesters marched through the Cambridgeshire village of Leverington following Home Office proposals to use a vacant former sheltered housing complex, Roman Court, as dispersal accommodation for asylum-seeking mothers and babies. While Fenland District Council stated the site is earmarked to provide 26 bed spaces, local MP Steve Barclay and council officials expressed concern that the plans could eventually expand to house up to 205 asylum seekers across the district. Residents and councillors raised concerns regarding community cohesion, anti-social behaviour, and the site's proximity to schools, while the Home Office stated it is working to move asylum seekers out of hotels into longer-term dispersal accommodation.
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- Around 200 protesters marched through Leverington, Cambridgeshire, carrying placards opposing asylum seeker accommodation.
- Fenland District Council stated the Home Office identified Roman Court in Leverington to provide 26 bed spaces for mothers and babies.
- Local MP Steve Barclay indicated he was told the district could eventually see 205 asylum seekers living across the area.
- Fenland District Council and local councillors formally objected to the proposals, citing risks to public safety and community cohesion.
- The Home Office declined to comment on individual sites due to staff and resident safety concerns, but noted it aims to move individuals out of hotels into dispersal accommodation.