Welsh Secretary of State and MP for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, Simon Hart has written to the Welsh Government to see if they can identify more suitable accommodation for asylum seekers currently housed at the former Military of Defence camp at Penally.

In correspondence sent to Jane Hutt MS, Deputy Minister and Chief Whip, Mr. Hart states that if Welsh Government was able to fulfil its ‘Nation of Sanctuary’ commitment and find good accommodation (not hotels or other forms of temporary accommodation) for a significant number of asylum seekers, the Home Office could potentially be persuaded not to extend its consent and to vacate the site in March, 2021.

The Home Office controversially repurposed the Penally Camp back in September to house up to 234 asylum seekers, with no consultation afforded to the local community or authorities.

Providing an update to residents in the locality on the situation via email, Mr. Hart said: “There have been a considerable number of exchanges between myself and the Home Office to explore ways in which the site can be returned to MOD use at the earliest opportunity.

“The temporary planning permission under which the HO occupy the site expires in March. I have informed the HO that I think it is unlikely that the Local Authority will grant consent and that to challenge this could cause heightened tensions once again.

“With this in mind I have approached Welsh Government and asked them to identify suitable alternative accommodation in line with their ‘Nation of Sanctuary’ policy for asylum seekers.

“As Welsh Government have expressed a view (shared by many on both ‘sides’ of the debate) that Penally is unsuitable, I hope they will seize the opportunity to work with me in identifying alternatives as a matter of urgency,” he added.

Mr. Hart’s correspondence to Jane Hutt on the matter is as follows:

“I know you have taken a keen interest in the situation at Penally Training Camp and have had direct conversations with the Minister for Immigration Compliance and the Courts, Chris Philp MP.

“I am sure you are familiar with the history of this matter, including the published timeline of engagements I have had with the Home Office and others.

“A potential solution to this situation is possible, but this will require the cooperation of the Welsh Government, which this letter seeks.

“In the Welsh Government’s Nation of Sanctuary – Refugee and Asylum Seeker Plan, you state that holistic support should be provided to refugees and asylum seekers from day one to ensure they can integrate into local communities. This includes ensuring that refugees are supported to transition from asylum accommodation to sustainable accommodation.

“At present, there are 234 young men residing at Penally Training Camp. By the end of March, the temporary planning consent under which the Home Office has use of the site expires. The Home Office will no doubt seek to extend that consent, despite their overall ambition to vacate the site before the current 12 month commitment comes to an end.

“However, if Welsh Government was able to fulfil its ‘Nation of Sanctuary’ commitment and finds good accommodation (not hotels or other forms of temporary accommodation) for a significant number of asylum seekers, the Home Office could potentially be persuaded not to extend its consent and to vacate in March.

“I understand you are speaking to the Welsh Local Government Association and local authorities about increased participation in the Dispersal Accommodation scheme, following your meeting with Minister Philp on December 1. After these conversations have taken place, the Minister would welcome a follow up discussion with you on next steps.

“I very much hope that you will be able to put the very clear commitments that you have made into action and work collaboratively to resolve the situation,” he added.

UK Secretary of State Priti Patel said earlier this month that that the camp was ‘safe, habitable and fit for purpose’ in correspondence sent to Mr. Hart.

“The UK Government has a legal and moral duty to provide support including accommodation for those who are seeking protection and who would otherwise be destitute whilst their claims are considered,” she stated.

“The current global pandemic has placed significant pressure on the asylum system and whilst we work hard to rebalance the system there remains an urgent need to find additional accommodation so we can continue to meet our obligations.

“This has led to the use of Penally Training Camp, a site that was both available at short notice and suitable to accommodate large numbers of asylum seekers on a temporary basis.

“The agreement with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) is for use of the site for up to 12 months, but as soon as the site is no longer needed, it will be stood down. Asylum seekers usually move from hostel-based accommodation into dispersed or longer-term accommodation while their asylum claim is being assessed.

“As restrictions are lifted, and movement within the asylum estate recommences, we expect to see the demand for sites such as Penally reduce. In addition, to clarify that this time period is not how long we wold expect any individual to stay at the site,” continued the Home Secretary.