Suella Braverman criticises plans to house asylum seekers in former shop
In a letter to Yvette Cooper, the Labour secretary of state, the Conservative MP for Fareham and Waterlooville described the proposal for the site in London Road, Waterlooville, as 'insulting to local people'.
She wrote: 'This plan will dump further pressure on policing, healthcare and public infrastructure, all while ignoring the legitimate concerns of residents who have been left voiceless.
'Our town has undergone a transformation and become a welcoming place to work, invest, shop, dine and play. Decisions such as yours will once again make our town centres no-go zones for the patriotic, common-sense majority.'
The MP, who has started a petition against the proposal, also stated on her website: 'This site, in the centre of our town, is utterly inappropriate for migrant accommodation. It must be stopped.'
A spokesman for Havant Borough Council said the local authority had not initially been consulted on the plans after Clearsprings, a procurement company employed by the Home Office for the project, had used an 'incorrect email address' in a bid to contact the council and had not followed up when it had not received a response.
The council has now been granted a 10-day consultation period on the proposals and the Labour leader Phil Munday is to meet with the Home Office.
He said: 'Combined with my imminent Home Office meeting, everything is being done to ensure our voice is heard whilst dealing with a challenge being felt nationally. I look forward to the council providing a response that reflects the concerns of the borough.'
Mr Munday also criticised Ms Braverman for referring to asylum seekers as 'illegal migrants' on her website.
He said: 'They are categorically not recognised by the state as illegal immigrants – regardless of the headline-grabbing title of Suella Braverman's petition – and I urge people to consider this in their views and actions.'
A Home Office spokeswoman said it was in 'active dialogue' with the local authority and added: 'We are working to fairly disperse asylum seekers across the country, consulting closely with local authorities and listening to local concerns.'
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