Swinney Slams Cameron Barracks Asylum Proposal
First Minister John Swinney has criticised the Home Office’s plan to house 300 asylum seekers at Cameron Barracks, calling it rushed and poorly prepared.
The First Minister has accused the Home Office of making its plans to house asylum seekers at Highland Barracks "on the back of an envelope."
John Swinney made this statement on the day plans to house 300 people at Cameron Barracks in Inverness were delayed until early December.
He also accused some protesters outside the barracks of harboring "racist views" - but later said that members of the public had legitimate questions about the plans and that the Home Office had not properly consulted with Scottish authorities.
The Home Office said it wanted to avoid creating "unsafe and chaotic conditions" with hastily prepared plans.
It said it would proceed only when the facilities were "fully operational and safe." Speaking on Radio Scotland's Breakfast programme before an anti-racism rally in Glasgow, Swinney said: "I think the announcement of Cameron Barracks several weeks ago, and then the suddenness of it, and then the sudden reversal yesterday, shows that, frankly, this has all been a cover-up."
He said the delay in the plan reveals the Home Office's "recognition of its true nature."
Swinney added, "The Home Office said they didn't want to lead in a chaotic and unsafe way - that's exactly what they're leading."
"They didn't engage properly, in any way, with the Highland Council or the Scottish Government, as they should have."
Earlier this year, both Cameron Barracks and the Crowborough Army Training Camp in East Sussex were shortlisted as potential temporary asylum-seeker accommodation.
In East Sussex, the local authority, Wealden District Council, passed a resolution formally opposing the Crowborough proposal.
The Highland Council also expressed concern about the scale of the barracks plan and the pressure it would place on local services.
The 140-year-old base near Inverness city center was previously used to house families fleeing Afghanistan.
The Home Office said it was still planning to "expedite" the movement of people.
But it said it would not do so at the expense of the safety of the local community.
Local MP Angus MacDonald of the Scottish Liberal Democrats said that despite the delay, Cameron Barracks was not the right place for asylum seekers.
Edward Mountain, Scottish Conservative Highlands and Islands MSP, said the delay was a "ploy" by the UK government "in the hope that people will buy into their ill-conceived idea" – which he said would have a huge impact on public services.
Large-scale protests against the accommodation of asylum seekers in hotels across the UK over the summer included demonstrations outside hotels in Perth, Falkirk, and Aberdeenshire.
At least one protester was seen giving a Nazi salute at a protest in Falkirk, while another held a banner that read "Kill them all, God heal them."
Union and Saltire flags have also been hoisted at several locations in Scotland in recent weeks, and this has been linked to anti-immigration sentiment.
In October, flags were hoisted near Cameron Barracks, which Highland Council said it would remove due to its "zero-tolerance" approach to unauthorized signs, stickers, and banners on its lampposts.
Asked whether the protests outside the hotels or Cameron Barracks were racist, Swinney said some protesters were displaying "racist views."
He added: "Yes, they are, you can see it on the banner they're holding.
"This is very concerning to me, which is why so many members of the public are devoting their time to protesting against those who are attacking those staying in asylum hotels.
"It's important that we speak out against racism wherever we see it in society, that we're absolutely clear on this, and some of the people protesting outside asylum hotels and facilities are expressing racist views."
Swinney further said that members of the public had questions about the asylum housing plan—such as healthcare arrangements for asylum seekers.
The UK government announced on Friday that it was ending the unrestricted use of taxis to transport asylum seekers to medical appointments.
some people had traveled long distances by taxi or minicab, with one asylum seeker reporting a 250-mile cab trip to a GP, costing the Home Office £600.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said taxis would only be permitted in very special circumstances.
Swinney said of the move: "People need to get to medical appointments. You must have easy access to healthcare for asylum seekers.
"Don't send asylum seekers to places where it's impossible for them to access public services, because then you'll spread stories like the one you just told me, where the Home Office is making a lot of noise about banning taxi use, when in fact, it's the Home Office's chaotic arrangements that fueled it in the first place."
Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander Swinney "perhaps didn't want to be completely open" about discussions with the UK government.
He said: "The Highland Council, the Scottish Government, the local police service, and indeed the local NHS, were all briefed before any public announcement.
"I can actually show you the letter we received from Scottish Ministers."
A Home Office spokesperson had previously said: "We are very angry at the level of illegal migrants and asylum hotels.
"Moving on to major military sites is an essential part of our reforms to remove the incentives that draw illegal migrants to the UK.
"We are accelerating plans to move people to Cameron Barracks once it is fully operational and safe.
"We will continue to work closely with local representatives and authorities throughout this transition."
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