Highlands MP Angus MacDonald has voiced strong opposition to reported UK Government plans to house up to 300 migrants at Cameron Barracks in Inverness.
The MP for Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire said the historic army site, which sits just a short walk from the city centre, is “not an appropriate location” for accommodating large numbers of people seeking asylum.
“The Cameron Barracks are not an appropriate location to house a large number of migrants,” Mr MacDonald said.
“It is as inappropriate as a city centre hotel.”
He warned that the location’s proximity to local homes and public spaces raises serious questions about security and community impact.
“Cameron Barracks is surrounded by housing and only a ten minute walk to the High Street,” he said.
“It is secured only by a modest fence.
“Will security still be maintained by the army?
“There is a risk that this causes major upheaval in the city centre while only housing a tiny fraction of the numbers awaiting processing.”
Mr MacDonald accused the UK Government of mismanaging the immigration system for years, creating the conditions that led to the current backlog.
“The Conservatives trashed the immigration system, allowed backlogs to spiral out of control and removed us from international agreements which allowed us to send migrants back where they came from,” he said.
He added that he has yet to receive formal confirmation from the Home Office but is seeking urgent answers.
“I have still not had any formal confirmation from the Home Office about these proposals but I am pursuing answers on this and have requested an urgent question in the House of Commons.”
Mr MacDonald said the government should focus on tackling the problem at its root by reforming how asylum cases are handled.
“We need a much quicker court system for processing backlogged cases, like the Nightingale centres set up during Covid,” he said.
“Rather than shuttling people to Inverness, this Labour Government should focus on fixing the root of the problem by speeding up asylum decisions so that those with no right to be here are returned swiftly, and those with valid claims can start working, integrating, and contributing to our communities.”
Neil Alexander, SNP candidate for Inverness and Nairn, also criticised the proposal, saying it shows “no long-term plan” for addressing the asylum backlog.
“A city centre site is not a long-term solution,” he said.
“At best it is a sticking plaster.
“People in Inverness will not necessarily appreciate being the canary in the coal mine for Labour’s new approach.”
He added that the decision comes just as Afghan families have recently been relocated from the site.
“Just at the point where Afghan families have been relocated, the site is being pressed into use again,” he said.
“It seems like there is no long-term plan from Labour.”
Mr Alexander called for the backlog to be declared a national emergency.
“We want the UK Government to declare the asylum backlog a national emergency and invoke the Civil Contingencies Act to set up Nightingale processing centres,” he said.
“By speeding up the processing of claims, those centres could clear the backlog within six months.”
