In what critics are calling yet another U-turn by Keir Starmer’s Labour government, the Home Office has confirmed a significant increase in the number of asylum seekers housed at a former RAF base, despite Starmer’s own election pledge to shut the site down.
MDP Wethersfield, located in a remote part of Essex, will now accommodate up to 1,245 migrants, up from the current 800.
That’s an increase of more than 50%, according to an update issued by the Home Office on Wednesday, a move that appears to flatly contradict Labour’s previous commitment to halt the use of disused military sites for asylum housing.
The Home Office said the additional 445 “contingency bedspaces” will be used “on a temporary basis” until the “wider accommodation estate is able to manage demand.” It claimed the numbers would be reduced back to 800 “as soon as possible thereafter.”
But for many, the damage is done.
Sir James Cleverly, the former Home Secretary and now shadow housing and communities secretary, and the local MP for Braintree, where Wethersfield is located, was scathing:
“I was never happy that asylum seekers were held at Wethersfield and while home secretary, secured a cap on the numbers of asylum seekers there. I remain opposed to any increase.
“Starmer said the site needs to close, but is now increasing numbers. He and Cooper are doing this because they scrapped the Rwanda plan and failed to reduce small boat crossings. The first half of the year has the highest number of arrivals on record.
“I will keep pushing the Government to reverse this decision and close the site as soon as possible.”
Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, echoed the condemnation:
“This is another Starmer U-turn as his government descends into chaos. He promised to close this facility down, now he’s expanding it. Despite this, there are more illegal immigrants now in hotels than at the time of the election because we’ve seen record ever numbers cross the Channel this year.
“Keir Starmer and Yvette Cooper have lost control of our borders, and this chaos is the result.”
At the general election last year, Starmer had promised to end the practice of housing asylum seekers in disused military sites like Wethersfield, a promise that was welcomed by campaigners and local residents at the time. The remote location of the base has long drawn criticism for its isolation, lack of infrastructure, and risks to both migrant welfare and local community cohesion.
The announcement comes as small boat crossings continue to surge. Nearly 4,500 migrants have crossed the Channel so far in July alone, pushing the total for 2025 to more than 24,000, a rise of around 50% compared to this time last year.
Wethersfield is one of only two large-scale non-hotel accommodation sites currently in use. In addition to housing 1,245 migrants at Wethersfield, the Home Office is placing more than 32,000 asylum seekers in hotels and another 66,000 in dispersal accommodation such as bedsits and multi-occupancy homes across the UK. Reports suggest a further 900 arrived on England’s shores just yesterday.
The government insists the expansion is temporary, but the language has done little to calm fears that the Labour Party has once again reneged on a public promise.
While No 10 stays silent, discontent is growing in Essex and beyond. A pledge made. A pledge broken. The fallout continues.
