Residents of a picturesque Essex village are reluctant to speak publicly about their concerns over Britain’s largest asylum centre due to “woke backlash”.
The Wethersfield centre, situated on a former RAF base, has faced criticism from refugee charities and politicians alike.
Yet many of the 707 villagers in Wethersfield remain conspicuously silent about the facility on their doorstep.
Locals fear being condemned in a ‘woke backlash’ or labelled as intolerant or racist if they voice their concerns about the centre, where 800 mostly male migrants will soon outnumber locals.
RAF Wethersfield is being used to house asylum seekersPAWhile opposition to the centre is widespread in private village discussions on Facebook and WhatsApp, few are willing to go on record with their views.
Speaking to the MailOnline, some villagers say they no longer feel safe walking at night due to groups of men roaming the area.
Those living nearest the base claim their houses are now unsaleable, while property values throughout the village have reportedly fallen.
Nick Godley, chairman of Wethersfield Parish Council, is one of few willing to speak publicly against the centre.
“People are almost universally against it for the whole gamut of reasons,” he told the publication.
“At the end of the day, they’re human beings, and it isn’t a good place to keep them – it’s in the middle of nowhere. They are free to come and go, but there is nowhere to go.”
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A sign near RAF Wethersfield in EssexPAHe acknowledged there have been “occasional riots” and “suicide attempts” on the base, though off-site incidents have been “pretty minor”.
The centre faces legal challenges following a recent High Court judgment that found the Home Office acted unlawfully.
A judge ruled that three vulnerable asylum seekers – victims of trafficking, torture and serious physical violence – suffered serious mental health declines while at Wethersfield.
Steve Smith, CEO of Care4Calais, called for the centre’s immediate closure.
“The mental despair this camp has inflicted on its residents cannot be overstated,” he said.
“The Government has a moral duty to act on today’s legal judgement. They have already closed the Bibby Stockholm, and must now do the same with Wethersfield.”
Former Home Secretary Priti Patel has repeatedly called for the plans to be scrapped
PA
However, the judge rejected a broader challenge that the Home Office’s allocation policy for Wethersfield was “systemically” unlawful.
Former Home Secretary Priti Patel has repeatedly called for the plans to be scrapped.
Local concerns extend beyond social issues to potential environmental hazards at the site.
Andrew Hull, chairman of the Wethersfield Airfield Scrutiny Committee, warns of possible contamination from fire retardant chemicals and radioactive ash from old aircraft parts.
“Their report stated quite clearly that there was a high risk of severe consequences to human health of people simply visiting the site,” said Hull.
The asylum centre contract expires in 2027, with local parish councils exploring alternative uses including a community-owned solar farm.
A Home Office spokesperson defended the site, stating: “We remain of the belief that it provides fully adequate and functional accommodation for those who we have a legal obligation to support.”
They added that Wethersfield remains “an essential part” of their strategy to reduce asylum accommodation costs.
