Asylum Matters, a charity which says it works with groups to call for humane housing in communities, criticised the department and the previous Conservative government following the publication of a report by the National Audit Office (NAO).
Lou Calvey, director of Asylum Matters, said: “If more proof were needed of how ill-thought out the policy of camps in our asylum system is, this is it. Instead of working with communities to help people fleeing persecution rebuild their lives, the previous Government ignored warnings so it could indulge in waste and carelessness.
“More than £15 million of public money was thrown away on a contaminated and dangerous site that should never have been under consideration.
“We’ve seen it time and time again: these large scale sites, whether they are barracks or barges, aren’t fit for human beings to live in. Our new Government must take the lesson from this fiasco, and immediately abandon plans to place people seeking safety in any large scale site like this.”
The NAO, which holds the Government to account for its spending decisions, said the Home Office paid £15.4 million for Northeye in Bexhill.
An NAO spokesperson said: “The Home Office’s quick acquisition of a new site for asylum accommodation, to meet government’s priority at the time to end the use of hotels for that purpose, led to it cutting corners and paying more than it needed to.
“After first being alerted in May 2022 to its potential suitability, the Home Office entered negotiations with the vendors to acquire the Northeye site in Bexhill. The Home Office moved quickly and chose to dispense with established processes, including the requirement for a full business case before approving the purchase.
“A full assessment of the remediation required on the site did not take place either, despite significant risks being flagged. The cost of remediation was underestimated before contracts were exchanged, committing the Home Office to the purchase.
“The Home Office also underestimated the time it would take between exchanging contracts and completing the purchase, leading it to pay the vendors an additional £0.9 million. As a result, it purchased a contaminated site for £15.4 million, with remediation costs estimated to be in the range of £1.1 million to £3.6 million.”
The plans for Northeye have attracted widespread opposition from residents since they were unveiled in March last year, with several protests being held in Bexhill, organised by the No to Northeye group.
Northeye is one of several sites chosen by the Home Office for accommodation centres for asylum seekers to be built.
Dr Kieran Mullan, Conservative MP for Bexhill and Battle, said: “Having read the full NAO report on the Home Office acquisition of the Northeye site, it seems clear that they did not make the best use of public money when purchasing the site.
“Whilst I understand the pressure on the Home Office to find accommodation for growing numbers of illegal immigrants claiming asylum, I believe that the risks of achieving delivery at this site were insufficiently assessed. The report says that lessons have been learnt by the Home Office and better procedures are now in place which I hope is true.
“Bexhill residents have faced a huge amount of concern since this proposal was first put forward, due to the potential impact on the town and lack of clear information about its use.
“It has been especially hard for those living adjacent to the site. For many, their lives have been put on hold since it was first announced.
“Given the ongoing uncertainty of it ever being viable as a detained illegal migration centre, I consider that the best option now would be a swift decision from the Home Office to sell the site so it can be used for much-needed housing and recreation space which was the original intention for it in the Rother District Local Plan.
“In the long run, the need for this sort of accommodation will only come down when we have got a grip of illegal crossings.”
A spokesperson for the Home Office said: “The contents of this report relate to the previous government’s purchase of the Northeye site.
“Having inherited an asylum system under exceptional strain, with tens of thousands of cases stuck in a backlog, we remain committed to ending the use of hotels and housing people in more suitable and cost-effective achieving better value for the taxpayer.
“We are getting the asylum system moving again, increasing returns of people who have no right to be here, with over 9,000 people removed since July 2024. We will continue to restore order to the system so that it operates swiftly, firmly and fairly.”
1. Northeye in Bexhill.
Northeye in Bexhill. Photo: staff
2. Northeye in Bexhill.
Northeye in Bexhill. Photo: staff
3. Northeye in Bexhill.
Northeye in Bexhill. Photo: staff
4. Northeye in Bexhill.
Northeye in Bexhill. Photo: staff