Badenoch suggests ‘camps’ could replace asylum hotels

Kemi Badenoch appeared to suggest setting up migrant “camps” when speaking about possible alternatives to using hotels to house asylum seekers - comments which have been dubbed “deeply troubling” by refugee campaigners.

- MILLIE COOKE

As she met members of the community in Epping, Essex, the Conservative Party leader said: “We’ve got to turn things around very quickly. We cannot use rules from 1995, or 2005, or even 2015 for 2025. Our world is changing very quickly, and we need to adapt to it.”

Ms Badenoch, who is attempting to persuade voters that the Tories can be trusted on the issue of migration in the face of a growing threat from Reform UK, added: “Is it possible for us to set up camps and police that, rather than bringing all of this hassle into communities?

“As a party, we need to also hear from the community about what you think the solutions are. We don’t have all the answers. It’s important that we make sure that the community is part of the problem-solving.”

Responding to her remarks, Refugee Action’s Tim Naor Hilton told