Every part of the country must be prepared to take in asylum seekers, a Cabinet minister said as a village held a symbolic independence referendum in protest at plans to house more than 1,000 migrants at a former military base.
The proposal, which would mean 1,256 male asylum seekers moving into the base near Piddington in Oxfordshire has sparked anger and fear among many village residents.
Senior minister Jonathan Reynolds acknowledged “none of this is pleasant” but the disused military site was more suitable than housing asylum seekers in hotels.
There was “no imaginary place these people can go”, he said.
• Subscribe to ITV News on YouTube: http://bit.ly/2lOHmNj
• Get breaking news and more stories at http://www.itv.com/news
Follow ITV News on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@itvnews?lang=en
Follow ITV News on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itvnews/
Follow ITV News on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itvnews/
Follow ITV News on X: https://twitter.com/itvnews
