Reform calls for referendum over migrant housing

Reform UK is calling for a county-wide referendum on plans to house asylum seekers at a former RAF base in Suffolk.

The motion will be put to Suffolk County Council's full council meeting next month. Reform has control of the authority, so would expect this to succeed.

The proposal comes amid local concern over Home Office plans to convert RAF Barnham, near Thetford, into accommodation for asylum seekers for a minimum of 10 years, said a Reform spokesperson.

If approved, the county would have an advisory referendum on housing asylum seekers that would be held alongside next year's local elections. But it has been quickly dismissed as a stunt by opposition parties.

Three Ministry of Defence (MoD) sites - in Bicester in Oxfordshire, Barnham in Suffolk, and Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire - were named in June as potential asylum sites as the government vowed to move away from hotel-based accommodation.

It is understood that RAF Barnham can house about 1,250 male asylum seekers.

According to information provided by the Home Office in a meeting with neighbouring Norfolk County Council, those accommodated at the site would be exclusively men, the majority being single young men who arrived in the United Kingdom illegally.

The motion has been proposed by the deputy leader of Suffolk County Council, Philip Faircloth-Mutton and seconded by cabinet member Tristan Gale.

The party issued a statement which said: "Suffolk residents deserve the opportunity to express their views directly through the ballot box, particularly given the scale and potential duration of the proposals."

Faircloth-Mutton said: "For too long, the voices of local communities in Suffolk have been ignored by successive governments.

"This referendum would give Suffolk residents the opportunity to make their voices heard on an issue that will affect our county for years to come."

Gale said: "The government's position is to have every case heard within six months of arrival; we could have a turnover of countless asylum seekers transiting in Suffolk before being pushed out to the wider community."

Opposition parties were quick to oppose the move. Andrew Stringer, leader of the Green Party on the council, said it was an attempt by Reform to deflect from "their own lack of policies".

"The proposed referendum is Reform trying to hijack next year's local elections, and turn them into a single-issue vote," he said.

Referring to the 2016 Brexit vote, he added: "It must be pointed out that the consequence of the countrywide referendum in the UK directly led to the rise in small boat crossings in the first place.

"Suffolk Green councillors have long called for a proper debate on how we house people that lawfully seek asylum here. "

Martin Cook, leader of the Labour group, said the poll would "bind nobody and change nothing".

"Asylum is decided by the Home Office, not the county council," he said.

"It comes with a price the motion doesn't mention, on a question Reform haven't written yet, on the day of the district elections. That is an election stunt, and residents will pay for it.

"The council is consulting right now on cutting school nurses to save money. It has better things to spend its money on."

This comes after villagers in Piddington in Oxfordshire voted to become independent from the UK on 15 September in response to plans to house asylum seekers at MoD Bicester.

Earlier this month "a small group" from Barnham Parish Council went on a "fact-finding" mission to Piddington, seeking out more information on a possible referendum of its own.

In neighbouring Essex, the Reform-run county council has been asked to "put evidence on the table" by Prime Minister Andy Burnham to justify its decision to employ security guards in town and city centres near the Wethersfield asylum centre.

The backlog of asylum appeal cases has reached a new record high, according to Ministry of Justice figures.

Nearly 87,500 appeals to overturn failed asylum applications had been lodged at the end of March 2026 — a 70% increase year on year.

While the government has sharply reduced the backlog of cases awaiting an initial decision, the number of appeals to be resolved has risen, meaning the overall asylum caseload remains higher than when Labour took office.

BBC East political editor Andrew Sinclair said any referendum would be symbolic only.

He said: "Reform knows that the Piddington independence referendum gained worldwide attention and the interest shown by Barnham Parish council in doing something has also generated headlines.

"It hopes that going one step further with a county-wide referendum will generate similar attention and by holding it next year will ensure that the issue of asylum seekers and military bases is talked about all through the autumn and winter."

He added that the party was tapping into a sense of frustration held by people living near RAF Barnham that their concerns were not being listened to.

"The prime minister told us last week that he understands local concerns. But he also said that asylum seekers have to go somewhere while their applications are processed and hotels are too expensive," he said.

"He and the Home Office point out that applications are being processed more quickly, and there are more deportations taking place. There is little official evidence to suggest that asylum camps do lead to an increase in crime or anti-social behaviour.

"But those who live near these camps are not convinced and the idea of being able to express their anger and frustration in a referendum will be appealing."

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