Two migrants a week are absconding from Kent Army barracks, exclusive figures reveal

Two migrants a week are absconding from a camp at Kent Army barracks in the wake of the Channel crisis, exclusive figures show.

The Napier Barracks facility in Folkestone became the UK’s first migrant camp in September, housing 400 asylum seekers in spite of concerns about its effect on the local community and wider immigration system.

Eight arrivals who did not provide a forwarding address were recorded as absent from the camp between September 22 and October 20, according to Government figures seen by The Telegraph.

Damian Collins, the MP Folkestone and Hythe, was so concerned at the findings that he wrote to the Home Office asking how it could have happened.

Mr Collins said he was “repeatedly assured” by Home Secretary Priti Patel, asylum seekers would receive all of the support they needed at the Ministry of Defence site.

Mr Collins told The Telegraph: “I’m extremely concerned that since September eight asylum seekers have disappeared from the barracks, their current location unknown and their applications presumably suspended. The number of asylum seekers that have already left the camp raises serious questions about the security of the Napier Barracks facility.

“I’ve written to the Home Office to request an urgent clarification of what has gone wrong.”

Nigel Farage, the leader of the Brexit Party, told The Telegraph he was surprised the numbers were not higher and said there are serious national security issues at play.

He said: “The fact is that anyone can come to Britain illegally and then flee. That they're able to do that from army camps, I'm sure most people will view it, is not just ridiculous but potentially quite dangerous.

“France are effectively closing their borders at the moment because of the fear of terrorism and I think this is an issue of national security.”

Napier Barracks, at the Shorncliffe Army Camp, was among two sites established in order to supposedly save money and ensure social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.

Asylum seekers, whose applications usually span the course of six months, would ordinarily be housed on a temporary basis in flats or large shared houses.

Bridget Chapman, learning and project coordinator at Kent Refugee Action Network, claimed the barracks camp is an inappropriate facility in light of its current abscontion rate.

She said: “Most people arriving have strong asylum claims and want those to be processed. It would have to be extremely bad for them to remove themselves from that process, so it is extremely concerning.

"Before Napier opened, we asked questions about how people were going to be able to properly social distance. But they aren't – you've got 14 people in one room.”

The Home Office said occupancy in dormitories is limited to maintain a minimum distance between beds, but claimed the site is a “safe and secure” arrangement. 

Consultations are currently underway for plans which would see another Ministry of Defence site located in Barton Stacey, near Hampshire, house as many as 500 asylum seekers in temporary cabins.

However, the plans have faced vigorous local opposition and Caroline Nokes, the local Conservative MP, said the proposals would “ride roughshod” over planning permission rules.

Barton Stacey currently has a population of roughly 1,000.

A Home Office spokesman said: “We are fixing our broken asylum system to make it firm and fair. We will seek to stop abuse of the system while ensuring it is compassionate towards those who need our help.

“We hand details of anyone who flees the site to the police and our specialist tracing team, who do everything they can to track these individuals down and, once found, their claim may be rejected.”