STV NewsThe Highland Council say no arrival date has been confirmed amid the Home Office’s plans to move asylum seekers into Cameron Barracks.
The UK Government previously announced that the Scottish army base near Inverness would be used to house 300 adult male asylum seekers in an effort to end the use of hotels.
The local authority has raised concerns over “community cohesion” given the scale of the plans on a “relatively small community”.
A multi-agency partnership involving the Council, NHS Highland, Police Scotland, the Scottish Government, COSLA, Third Sector Interface, and Home Office officials is meeting weekly to plan for the project.
The move was due to begin on a phased basis in December, however, this was delayed after major refurbishment works worth £1.3m were approved for January.
Two contracts, put out for tender last week, show 12 buildings at the barracks will be overhauled, including asbestos removal from the basement boiler room.
STV NewsThe works will also involve boiler replacement and a full refurbishment of the accommodation blocks, which will undergo a deep clean.
A £300,000 contract involves the removal of the existing heating plant and hazardous materials, while the second contract, worth £1m, covers a total redecoration.
The £1m contract is not due to be completed until April 1, 2026.
Highland Council leader Raymond Bremner initially wrote to Alex Norris MP, minister for border security and asylum, at the end of October to convey their “very deep concern” regarding the proposals.
He sent a further letter on November 14, backed by council convener Bill Lobban and opposition group leader Alasdair Christie, outlining various concerns and requesting a meeting with the Home Office. They say no response to the second letter was received
A letter has also been sent to secretary of state Shabana Mahmood, requesting that she meet with local residents. However, the Highland Council has confirmed they are yet to receive a response more than a month on.
A Highland Council spokesperson said: “We have had no confirmation on arrival date, nor replies to letters sent to the Home Office.
“We’re continuing to seek information from the Home Office.”
STV NewsWhen STV News asked the Home Office for an update on the asylum seekers being moved to the Cameron Barracks, the Government body replied with the same quote issued at the end of November last year.
They said it was “furious at the level of illegal migrants and asylum hotels”.
It said it was “continuing to accelerate plans” to move people to Cameron Barracks and to a military base at Crowborough in East Sussex once sites “are fully operational and safe”.
The Home Office added: “We will not replicate the mistakes of the past where rushed plans led to unsafe and chaotic situations”.
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