UK GOVERNMENT DROPS PLAN TO HOUSE ASYLUM SEEKERS AT INVERNESS BARRACKS

The UK government has abandoned a scheme to house up to 300 male asylum seekers at Cameron Barracks in Inverness, according to Angus MacDonald, the Liberal Democrat MP for Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire. MacDonald said he was informed of the decision by UK Border Security Minister Alex Norris. The Home Office had originally intended to move people into the barracks by early December 2025 and operate the site for 12 months, but the plans were delayed and have now been dropped entirely.

MacDonald stated that the outcome reflected concerns raised by local residents and military families connected to the barracks. He said local opinion held that the site's proximity to the city centre, schools and residential areas made it unsuitable for the purpose. MacDonald added that the decision reflected the contradiction of closing asylum hotels in town centres across southern England whilst opening a similarly positioned facility in Inverness. The scheme formed part of the government's broader drive to close asylum hotels, which generated both support and opposition locally.

Official figures recorded 93,653 people in asylum accommodation as of March 2026, with approximately 22% housed in hotels. The government has committed to ending hotel use by 2029. In the year from April 2025 to March 2026, a total of 93,525 people applied for asylum in the UK, representing a 12% decrease compared to the previous 12-month period.