Town votes to 'leave UK' in asylum protest

A village in Oxfordshire has held a protest referendum where residents have voted to become independent from the UK.

Organisers said the vote was an opportunity for those living in Piddington, near Bicester, to express their unhappiness about plans to house up to 1,256 male asylum seekers at nearby military base.

Campaigners called it a "symbolic referendum" as it wasn't an offical, legal vote, and the village won't be leaving the UK - but the organisers say it shows how strongly people feel about the issue.

312 residents took part were invited to take part - 285 voted to leave, there were 26 no votes, and one vote paper was spoiled, meaning it couldn't be counted.

The vote was organised by the local parish council, who said villagers were unhappy with the plan to use a old military base, near to the village, to house migrants and wanted to have their say.

Some of the locals argue the base isn't the right place to house so many asylum seekers, and that having large numbers of men living there makes them feel less safe in their community.

They also say no-one has consulted with them or asked them what they thought about the idea, and they haven't had a voice.

The use of the base is part of the government's process of housing asylum seekers, on military sites instead of putting them in hotels, which are an expensive form of accommodation that have also become a focus point for anti-migrant protests.

An asylum seeker is a person who leaves their home country, enters another country and applies for the right to international protection and to stay there.

To qualify for asylum a person needs to be fleeing conflict, or persecution at home. Moving for a better life or to earn more money aren't reasons to qualify for asylum.

Asylum seekers should apply for asylum in the first safe country they arrive in.

People who come to the UK who want to get asylum must apply for it, but applying doesn't automatically mean a migrant will be given the right to stay and some asylum seekers arrive in the UK without permission - such as by crossing the channel on small boats.

The process of seeking asylum can take a long time and, while they wait on a decision, asylum seekers rely on government support. They are not allowed to work and they don't get to choose where they live.

Many have been placed in hotels, but now the government is trying to move them to different locations.

Tim Beader, Oxfordshire County Council leader, said the campaigners had done an incredible job at highlighting their concerns about the proposed asylum centre.

"It's partially about the proposal itself, and partially about how the government has gone about this without engaging with the local community," he said.

"It's the wrong site for the local communities, for the asylum seekers themselves, and for the taxpayer."

Hari Reed, from the Oxfordshire-based charity Asylum Welcome, agreed saying: "They [asylum seekers] will be distant from the kind of support that they usually need and that will put additional burden on the public services that are there to accommodate them."

The local Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament (MP) Calum Miller called it a "clear win for local democracy and for every resident who refused to be shut out of a decision with profound consequences for our communities".

In response to the vote, the government's Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told the BBC that the government was "listening".

"I do really understand that when changes are made that affect your community it can be very distressing," she added, but said the government won't change its plans.

"We inherited an enormous asylum backlog, we are processing claims much more quickly, we are removing people who don't have the right to be here... We do need to make sure that we live up to our obligations and house people coming to this country seeking safety."

A spokesman for the Home Office previously said: "The Government is closing every asylum hotel, saving taxpayers over £1 billion on asylum support since the election.

"We are working to fairly house asylum seekers across the country, moving asylum seekers into alternative accommodation, including former military sites which are designed to be self-contained to reduce impact on the local community.

"As part of the process, we engage with local authorities and police forces to ensure the safety and security of those in the surrounding area."