'I'm scared!' Teenage Crowborough resident fears for her safety as Labour extends asylum housing for four years

A teenage Crowborough resident has told GB News she is in fear of her safety after the Government confirmed an extension of asylum seeker accommodation in the community.

Speaking to GB News, 14-year-old Lily Holding admitted she is "scared" to walk to school by herself and hang out with her friends in the nearby park.

Crowborough residents have been left outraged after confirming that the ex-military site as well as RAF Wethersfield, will have their use extended to house more asylum seekers.

The Government has also announced three new sites for migrant camps in Bicester, Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire and Barnham in Suffolk.

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Reacting to the plans to extend the use of the Crowborough site for a further four years to 2030, Ms Holding told GB News she is "shocked" that the extension is going ahead despite mass protest.

She said: "We all knew it was coming, but I'm honestly shocked that they actually went forward with this.

"Because they know that the majority of Crowborough don't agree with these people being in the camp, yet they still go against us anyway."

The teenage resident admitted her fears for her safety walking around her community, especially by herself.

Ms Holding told GB News: "I'm scared that whenever I come out of school, they're going to be across the road watching everyone come out. And I feel like one day, me or other people my age are just going to be watched by these men.

"I have to walk the long way to school now, I can't walk into the town much anymore by myself, I have to go with friends or parents. And I can't even really go to the park unless there's my friends parents there."

Expressing her concern for the use of the base being extended, resident Lorna Marter and mother of Ms Holding's friend, declared the Government "doesn't care" about the residents.

She said: "I'm disappointed really. We've been sort of thinking they were probably going to do something like this because they've spent so much money on it.

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"They weren't ever just going to use it for a year, but to actually hear it confirmed, they just don't care about us at all. They don't care about our families or anything."

Stressing how the community has protested on a weekly basis against the use of the accommodation, Ms Marter said that their outrage has "made a difference" as the Government would have believed they "didn't care" about it.

She said: "I think that we have made a difference. This week's the 34th one, and we've had two weeks where we haven't done it.

"I think we've slowed things down, but if it wasn't for us doing everything we've done, I think it would have been full a long time ago, because they'd think that no one cared."

She concluded: "But I think that even though they're hearing us, they don't particularly care about what we feel and what we want, and it just takes away all your trust in any sort of Government matter. So I'm not sure what to believe anymore."

Border Security and Asylum Minister Alex Norris said: "We promised to close every asylum hotel and hand them back to communities, and that is exactly what we are doing.

"Twenty more hotels have closed, and hotel numbers have more than halved since their peak. Instead, we’re moving asylum seekers into ex-military sites that are a far cry from the hotels the last Government left us with.

"This is a system being brought back under control - and we will not stop until the job is done."

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