Keir Starmer: Labour would shut down asylum seeker sites such as RAF Wethersfield

ITV News Anglia's political correspondent Emma Hutchinson interviews Keir Starmer about Wethersfield, pylon plans and Norfolk and Suffolk.

Sir Keir Starmer says Labour would shut down a controversial asylum seeker centre at a former RAF base.

The former RAF Wethersfield site in Essex has been used to house asylum seekers since July 2023, despite opposition to the plans by local councils and residents.

On Monday, the Labour leader said he would close the centre should his party form a government following the general election on Thursday - but did not make any commitments on the timing of any closure.

In an interview with ITV News Anglia's political correspondent Emma Hutchinson he also spoke about Labour wanting to "work together" with communities impacted by plans for electricity pylons in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex.

"I do think [Wethersfield] needs to close," said Sir Keir.

"Obviously that’ll take time, because the problem that we’ve got at the moment is we’ve got tens of thousands of asylum seekers whose claims are not being processed.

"That is unsustainable."

When pressed by ITV News Anglia on when it would close, Sir Keir said: "I’m not going to put an arbitrary date on it, but I do know how keenly this is felt locally and understandably so.

Aerial view of the asylum accommodation centre at MDP Wethersfield in Essex, a 335-hectare airfield owned by the Ministry of Defence Credit: PA

"I want to ensure that we actually deal with all of these cases rather than having increasing numbers of people in hotels paid for by the taxpayer. 

"So I can absolutely understand why people are frustrated and angry with the government for the way this has been allowed to get completely out of hand."

RAF Wethersfield accommodates around 580 men, most of whom have come to the UK on small boats.

Similarly, asylum seekers have been housed at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire and the Bibby Stockholm barge in Dorset.

In May an investigation by ITV News revealed there had been 283 incidents relating to “self-harm and suicide” at large sites like Wethersfield by the end of January 2024.

Charities have called for sites like Wethersfield to be closed, with the Helen Bamber Foundation saying they are "unsuitable for traumatised people".

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