Azernews.Az

The British government is preparing to house illegal immigrants in former military bases while their asylum applications are being reviewed, Azernews reports citing The Daily Telegraph.

The initiative, expected to be officially announced in the coming weeks, has been assigned to the new Home Secretary, Shaban Mahmud, who took office on September 5 following Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s cabinet reshuffle.

According to the report, the main objective is to reduce the financial burden of accommodating migrants in hotels, which has sparked public discontent in recent weeks. For this purpose, two former military bases located in Essex and Kent, near London, are being considered.

These facilities were initially identified under the previous Conservative government, though the plans faced sharp criticism from human rights groups, who argue that military barracks resemble prison-like conditions.