Bexhill MP Huw Merriman says he does not oppose asylum centre plans for town

Huw Merriman, MP for Bexhill and Battle, was speaking on Good Morning Britain on Friday (May 12) about the plans to turn the Northeye site, a former prison and training centre in Bexhill, into a centre that would house up to 1,200 people.

He was being interviewed by presenters Kate Garraway and Adil Ray after the issue was discussed on BBC Question Time on Thursday night (May 11), in which there were laughter and jeers from the audience when social care minister, Helen Whately said Mr Merriman was a ‘strong voice for people in the Government’.

Mr Merriman said: “You can imagine people are disappointed and that disappointment comes through to me as an MP. I am a member of the Government that is delivering these policies and I recognise the anger but I have always been straight with people. I won’t be two-faced and say, well I am a constituency MP, I do not agree with this but as I am a Government minister I do.

“Our policy is to move asylum seekers away from hotels. They are costly and they are not safe in terms of people being targeted by modern slavery gangs. What this means is one MP or four MPs have to step up. Their communities are not happy but I am not a hypocrite and I will be straight. I would rather be straight and honest and have some principles than being two-faced and that is, I’m afraid, what we are dealing with.”

Mr Merriman was asked by Mr Ray on Friday’s show whether the solution was to put migrants in Bexhill in a centre or to have a ‘proper efficient system that actually deals with migrants properly and efficiently’.

In response the MP said: “That is the plan as well as having a detention centre where asylum seekers are, of course, free to move because they are asylum seekers. We are also bringing laws in that, say, if anyone comes across in a small boat that would be illegal, therefore that would be a detention matter, which means the centre in Bexhill would be redundant.

"I would rather see people housed in more humane situations where there is something to do, where it does not blight hotels and the areas around them. I know that causes a challenge for my constituents. I obviously want to mitigate that by making sure that there is enough security in place and NHS provision provided in the camp.

"But someone has got to step up and say ‘I take responsibility for this’ and I am willing to do that. If I get shot down on that basis then I just have to accept it.”

Residents have raised concerns over the Home Office’s plans to accommodate up to 1,200 asylum seekers at Northeye since the proposals were first announced on March 29. Since then residents in the area have raised concerns, who held a public gathering held outside Northeye on April 1.

A protest was also held outside the De La Warr Pavilion last Thursday before Question Time was aired from the venue.

Northeye is one of several sites to be chosen in the UK by the Government to house asylum seekers.

Mr Merriman met with Home Office officials last month, as well as leaders from local authorities and public services to discuss the plans.

He said the first 400 people are expected to arrive at the centre in September, followed by another 400, with the final 400 arriving by December.

The Home Office added the site will accommodate single adult male asylum seekers.

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