The government has confirmed that hundreds of asylum seekers will soon be moved into military barracks, as part of its drive to end the controversial use of asylum hotels.
The move comes just days before the expected deportation of Hadush Kebatu, an Ethiopian national mistakenly released from prison while serving a sentence for sexual offences, a blunder that has triggered public outrage and a fresh political storm.
Military Sites to Replace Hotels
Under the new Home Office plan, around 900 men will be temporarily relocated to Cameron Barracks in Inverness and Crowborough Training Camp in East Sussex.
A Home Office spokesperson said the department was “furious” about the continued reliance on asylum hotels and pledged to phase them out completely.
“This government will close every asylum hotel,” the spokesperson said. “Work is well under way, with more suitable sites being brought forward to ease pressure on communities and cut asylum costs.”
Officials are also exploring industrial sites, temporary facilities, and disused accommodation as alternatives, as part of efforts to reduce costs and calm growing public frustration over the issue.
The Prison Blunder That Sparked It All
The renewed urgency follows the accidental release of Kebatu from HMP Chelmsford last Friday. He had been serving time for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman in Epping, just a week after arriving in the UK on a small boat.
Kebatu’s release sparked a manhunt across London before Metropolitan Police officers arrested him in Finsbury Park on Sunday.
Justice Secretary David Lammy has since ordered an independent investigation, describing the case as “human error” and vowing to deport Kebatu back to Ethiopia as quickly as possible.
“I am livid on behalf of his victims,” Lammy told MPs. “This should never have happened.”
He also confirmed that new checks and safeguards have been introduced following the blunder.
‘Intolerable Pressure’ Inside Prisons
However, the Prison Officers’ Association (POA) has pushed back against any suggestion that staff were to blame, warning that prisons remain dangerously understaffed and overstretched.
Mark Fairhurst, the union’s national chair, said:
“The pressure on staff is intolerable, and this will inevitably lead to mistakes. These issues should have been addressed a long time ago, but as usual, our employer waits for a headline and then acts.”
One staff member at Chelmsford Prison has been suspended, and some MPs are calling for the governor’s resignation if they are found to have failed in their duties.
The POA has warned that similar incidents could happen again unless the prison system receives urgent investment and support.
Public Pressure Mounts
The case has reignited debate over the management of asylum seekers, the safety of communities, and the strain on public services.
With military barracks now being brought back into use, the government faces a difficult balancing act, cutting asylum costs while proving it still has control of a system many believe is close to breaking point.
