A Green Party councillor has drawn criticism for encouraging local children to create Valentine’s Day cards for adult male asylum seekers housed at a former training camp in East Sussex, with opponents raising safeguarding concerns about the initiative.
Conservative MP Nus Ghani condemned the move as “highly irresponsible,” warning there had been “no regard for safeguarding” in encouraging children to make Valentine’s cards for “single adult men.” The MP stated there was “widespread concern locally” about the appropriateness of the gesture.
Anne Cross, a Green councillor on East Sussex County Council, organized the welcome initiative alongside her grandchildren, creating Valentine’s cards to deliver to men housed at the former Crowborough Training Camp. The site began accommodating asylum seekers on 22 January as part of the Labour government’s plan to reduce reliance on hotels for migrant accommodation.
Cross defended the initiative, stating: “There is nothing like getting to know people and hearing their stories in order to dispel fear. My grandchildren and I painted some Valentine’s Cards at the weekend, which we are going to be presenting to the men at Crowborough as a welcome.”
The councillor urged local representatives to stand with “all those who share the love” whilst promoting engagement between residents and asylum seekers living at the site.
Plans announced last October allow up to 500 single adult male asylum seekers aged between 18 and 65 to be housed at the former cadet facility. The first group of 27 men arrived in late January, prompting mass protests in Crowborough over safety concerns and the suitability of the accommodation.
Kim Bailey, chairwoman of local campaign group Crowborough Shield, accused Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood of ignoring community concerns. Bailey told Talk TV last month that Mahmood “has rammed this through under the cover of darkness without a care in the world for this community, and she’s bragging about it. It’s utterly disgraceful.”
Bailey emphasized the site was not a secure army barracks but rather a cadet training facility. “It’s not secure at all. It’s got the flimsiest of fences around it. She’s taken away this facility from young people to put in a few hundred asylum seekers,” she stated.
The campaign group chairwoman warned the population at the site would rotate every two to three months, meaning many more asylum seekers would pass through the town over time than the initial 27 residents.
Officials say hotel accommodation for migrants costs taxpayers more than £9 million per day nationwide, with the government seeking to reduce this expense through use of sites like Crowborough. The Home Office states the facility is designed to be largely self-contained, with essential services provided on site to minimize pressure on local infrastructure.
The Home Office confirms security checks, including biometric screening against criminal and immigration databases, are conducted on all residents. Officials state that criminal activity is reported to police as standard procedure.
However, The Sun has previously reported that criminality checks have been found wanting, with hundreds of asylum seekers in recent years discovered to already have criminal records abroad, or facing criminal charges within weeks of arriving in Britain.
The controversy over children’s Valentine’s cards represents the latest flashpoint in ongoing tensions between local residents and authorities over the Crowborough site. The initiative has divided opinion between those seeking to welcome asylum seekers and residents expressing concerns about safeguarding and community consultation.
The Home Office has not commented specifically on the Valentine’s card initiative or the safeguarding concerns raised by MP Nus Ghani. Cross continues to encourage community engagement with asylum seekers despite the backlash from political opponents and local campaign groups.
