Migrants housed on ex-RAF base erupt into major brawl as chairs and punches thrown in horror attack

Migrants housed on ex-RAF base erupt into major brawl as chairs and punches thrown in horror attack
GB News
Holly Bishop

By Holly Bishop


Published: 19/12/2023

- 18:29

The site began housing migrants in July, and has plans to house up to 1,700 people

Migrants living on a former RAF base have broken out into a huge brawl, with punches being thrown and chairs being tossed at fellow asylum seekers.

Violence erupted at the ex-military base in Wethersfield, Essex, which currently houses 430 migrants.


An asylum seeker living at the base has confessed that he feels unsafe due to the frequent violent episodes from other occupants.

The base in Essex began housing migrants in July, and has plans to house up to 1,700 people.

RAF Wethersfield, one of the ex-RAF bases being used to house asylum seekersRAF Wethersfield is being used to house asylum seekersPA

The 19-year-old from Iran spoke to ITV News and said: “Inside the camp - dangerous because most nights fighting another nationality, another language, another people.

“There is security, but they can't control because (there are) many people inside here.

“(There is) no safety. I am scared in here, (it's) dangerous.”

A different source who has access to asylum seekers told ITV that they were aware of “numerous fights” and “disagreements” taking place in the base.

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Wethersfield RAF

Violence has erupted at the ex-military base in Wethersfield, Essex, which currently houses 430 migrants

PA

Graphic injuries have been sustained by several of the migrants, with one even being sent to Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford to receive treatment.

Last month, a protest broke out at the site. Footage captured showed men chanting “wrong plan, wrong place”.

Fields Association, the local group campaigning against the asylum centre, co-opted the slogan.

In a separate video, taken from the same scene, one asylum seekers can be heard saying: “We just need better accommodation.”

Another says: “Since four months, we haven’t [had] contact with our family because of internet. We don’t have money, actually, to buy something.”

Responding to the reports of fighting on site, the Home Office said: “Fighting and any forms of vandalism at Wethersfield are totally unacceptable.

James Cleverly

James Cleverly has revealed he hopes the base closes down soon

PA

“We continue to work closely with our provider to ensure people behave appropriately on site.

“The number of staff has increased in line with the number of asylum seekers and is routinely reviewed.”

The plans to house migrants at the base were unveiled by the Ministry of Defence in March.

It was set up in order to reduce the costs of £6million spent a day on housing migrants in hotels.

However, many have critiqued the accommodation.

Last month. James Cleverly said he hopes to close down the contentious mass accommodation centre “as soon as practicable”.

He said it “wasn’t appropriate for asylum accommodation”, owing to the “remote nature of the site” and “limited transport infrastructure”.

The Home Office has confirmed that it plans to use the site to house migrants for three years.

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