Steven McKenzieHighlands and Islands reporter
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About 300 asylum seekers are to be housed at Cameron Barracks in Inverness
A UK government minister says he recognises the “strength of feeling” about plans to use an Inverness barracks to house asylum seekers.
Cameron Barracks is to provide accommodation for 309 men from next month, according to local Lib Dem MP Angus MacDonald.
At Westminster, Mr MacDonald challenged Minister of State at the Home Office Alex Norris on the suitability of the site near Inverness city centre.
Norris said any impact on communities would be “minimised” and the security of people living in surrounding areas was “paramount”.
The Home Office has confirmed discussions are under way to use Cameron Barracks and an East Sussex army training camp for asylum accommodation.
Norris told MPs that the military sites were among a number of options being looked to end the use of asylum hotels.
The minister said it was recognised the strength of feeling towards the plans in the Highlands and East Sussex, and said “local context was always considered”.
The minister said Cameron Barracks had previously successfully housed Afghan people resettled to the UK from Afghanistan.
He said: “There is a strong understanding within the Home Office about the importance of local engagement.
“My officials have been engaging directly with the Scottish government, relevant councils and local service providers and will continue to do so.”
He added: “We are clear that impact on communities will be minimised, and the safety and security of people living and working in the surrounding areas is paramount.”
Norris said the UK government was trying to “break a model” that suggested people could live in hotels while working illegally.
Angus MacDonald, MP for Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire, asked the minister to halt the plan for Cameron Barracks.
Cameron Barracks is a 140-year-old military base near Inverness city centre
Later in the Scottish Parliament, Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville criticised the decision-making and lack of information from the UK government.
She said she first heard of the plans in September and wrote to the Home Office with concerns at that time but did not receive a reply.
She added: “I have been clear with the Home Office that these plans must fully consider the impact on the local community, and the appropriateness of the site to accommodate this group of people.”
Somerville said the Scottish government had sought assurances that the barracks would have capacity to meet the asylum seekers’ needs.
She said Scotland had welcomed refugees and asylum seekers and urged the UK government to collaborate with Scottish authorities on the proposals.
Meanwhile, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar warned against people responding to the plans with fear.
He said: “We have to be very, very careful that we are not magnifying a message that too many on the far-right want to portray every single person waiting for a decision by the Home Office as somehow a threat to our communities and our society.”
He defended the Home Office decision to use the barracks as the consequence of a “broken” asylum system.
Highlands and Islands Conservative MSP Edward Mountain said his constituents were concerned about additional pressures on health services.
£1m revamp
Senior Highland councillors, the Scottish government and local politicians have raised concerns about the suitability of the Inverness site, and refugee charity Care4Calais has also condemned the plan.
It has since emerged that 140-year-old Cameron Barracks is to have a £1m revamp. The contract is for about 12 buildings and involves cleaning and redecorating.
The Category B listed barracks is made up of a number of brick-built buildings.
It was the home of the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders from June 1886 until September 1960, and over the years since then has continued to be used by the military.
The revamp contract includes cleaning floors, walls, ceilings, doors, and removing dust and cobwebs.
Existing pictures, decorations, signs and notice boards are also to be removed.
The Home Office confirmed the barracks formed part of its plans to end the use of hotels as asylum accommodation.
A spokesperson said: “We are furious at the level of illegal migrants and asylum hotels.
“This government will close every asylum hotel. Work is well under way, with more suitable sites being brought forward to ease pressure on communities.”
They added: “We are working closely with local authorities, property partners and across government so that we can accelerate delivery.”
The Home Office said asylum seekers would be subject to conditions that they must report back to the site every evening.
It said all sites would comply with safety, security, health and wellbeing standards.
Highland Council said it had received no information from the UK government on whether the revamp would require planning consent.
The Home Office has confirmed its plans for Cameron Barracks
The council, which is to hold a special meeting on the plans next week, said it understood Cameron Barracks would be used in phases as temporary accommodation.
On Tuesday, Independent convenor Bill Lobban, council leader and SNP councillor Raymond Bremner and opposition leader and Lib Dem councillor Alasdair Christie raised concerns about the plan.
In a joint statement, they said: “Our main concern is the impact this proposal will have on community cohesion given the scale of the proposals as they currently stand.”
They added: “Inverness is a relatively small community but the potential impact locally and across the wider Highlands appears not to have been taken into consideration by the UK government.”
Scotland’s Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said the Scottish government had urged the Home Office to work closely with Highland Council.