Migrants sent to barges and former barracks will be free to leave for seven days at a time

Asylum seekers transferred to former military bases and barges will be free to leave for up to seven days at a time under human rights rules that dictate they cannot be detained, Home Office officials have disclosed.

They will be permitted to leave for seven consecutive days and nights or for 14 calendar days and nights within any six-month period, under the Home Office’s accommodation rules.

The regime emerged during a High Court hearing into attempts by a local council to block plans to turn the former RAF Wethersfield base into a centre for up to 1,700 asylum seekers. A judgment is expected on Friday afternoon.

The disclosure has raised concerns among residents and MPs that asylum seekers could abscond from the site where they will be provided with a shuttle bus service to get to Braintree nine miles away.

Andrew Hull, chairman of Wethersfield air base scrutiny committee, said: “The concept is flawed. To say they are free to leave for a period of seven days, probably not knowing when they are going to return, sums up the inefficiency and unknowns over the plan.”

‘This is really unacceptable’

A senior Tory MP said: “This is really unacceptable and terrible for the village. Also what will they do with those who ignore these conditions and disappear?”

Ministers have announced five sites including Wethersfield, RAF Scampton, the former Dambusters’ air base in Lincolnshire, Catterick barracks in Rishi Sunak’s North Yorkshire constituency, the former prison Northeye in Bexhill and a barge moored in Portland Port, near Weymouth, Dorset.

They have already said the migrants would be free to come and go as they can only be detained for “a reasonable period” if they are due for removal and there is a realistic prospect of deportation. However, they have not spelled out the full regime.

A Home Office spokesman said: “Those living on accommodation sites would be free to come and go but would be expected to be on site overnight. If an asylum seeker were not back on site by 11pm, the team would make a courtesy call to the individual to ensure they are alright and do not need assistance.

“Current published policy states: asylum seekers provided asylum accommodation must reside there to continue to receive support.

“Conditions attached to support provide that they must not be absent without permission for more than seven consecutive days and nights, or for more than a total of 14 calendar days and nights within any six-month period.

“We will continue close engagement with the local police and other stakeholders to ensure the safety of asylum seekers, residents and the wider community.”

Regime is ‘under review’

Wethersfield is opposed by local MP James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, and neighbouring MP Priti Patel, the former home secretary, who say its remote location makes it inappropriate with a lack of infrastructure, narrow roads and local services that will not be able to cope with the influx.

A government source said the regime was “under review”. 

They added: “As we gradually phase people on to the site we can make changes as appropriate. There isn’t a legislative reason why we couldn’t make changes so we have that flexibility.”

The source said that based on the Home Office’s experience of housing migrants at Napier barracks in Kent, where they were free to come and go, they did not believe absconding would be a problem.

Asylum seekers are not expected to remain on the site more than 180 days with a turnover of 6,000 expected over the course of a year.