Good news! The government is closing Napier Barracks in September.
Using disused military sites to house people seeking asylum is cruel and inhumane and risks further traumatising people who have fled unimaginable dangers and life-threatening situations.
At Rainbow Migration, we have long been challenging the use of unsafe accommodation to house LGBTQI+ people seeking safety here. LGBTQI+ people are particularly at risk of harm, facing hostility and danger in overcrowded and prison-like conditions.
Just like in a detention centres, homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying is rife, and people are at risk of harm. At Napier Barracks people were afraid to even have a shower.
Nobody benefits from detention or prison-like conditions, except the private contractors who are paid millions of pounds a year to run this type of accommodation. We could all benefit from an approach that sees people supported in our communities and empowered to make decisions that are right for them.
For LGBTQI+ people who have fled persecution and could otherwise be detained here, it would mean having the chance to live openly and with dignity while they claim asylum in the UK.