Dozens protest plan to convert former UK RAF base into asylum center

BARNHAM, United Kingdom — Dozens of people gathered around a former Royal Air Force base in Suffolk, eastern England, to protest plans to convert the Barnham facility into an asylum accommodation center, the local Standard reported. The British Home Office said in June that the Barnham camp could be used to house asylum seekers, prompting regular demonstrations in the area. Under the plan, male asylum applicants aged 18 to 65 would be accommodated at the site. The ministry aims to house around 1,250 male asylum seekers at the facility, reducing reliance on costly hotel accommodations. The move is part of a broader effort to repurpose former military bases that have been closed in recent years. No further details on the timetable for the conversion or the status of the Home Office plan were immediately available.