Sussex police and crime commissioner Katy Bourne has called on the Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, to tag asylum-seekers – “for their safety and our peace of mind”.
The proposal has been criticised by Green councillor Rachel Millward who, like Mrs Bourne, is her party’s candidate in the postponed contest to become the first directly elected mayor of Sussex.
Mrs Bourne said: “Migration from poorer parts of the world and war-torn nations will not be halted through slogans about stopping boats or smashing gangs.
“With climate change, political chaos and religious fundamentalism on the rise, it’s no surprise that European countries – and especially the UK – look like the promised land.
“While the British people have a justly proud record of welcoming those fleeing persecution, the British public is getting frustrated and angry that male economic migrants are arriving by the boatload, putting pressure on local services and costing taxpayers billions every year.
“That frustration is fermenting into anger in some quarters and creating a climate of fear and anxiety in ordinary law-abiding people living next to migrant holding centres and hotels.
“In far too many towns and villages, hotels that were once a valued social hub have been shut to locals and tourists, hollowing out communities.
“People have become genuinely fearful of the strangers parachuted into their neighbourhoods and that mistrust means that migrants and asylum-seekers will also be ostracised and afraid.
“To label people’s fears as racist is lazy and insulting. There are no doubt extremists with hateful ideologies or those who want to exploit the presence of ‘foreigners’ for political gain.
“But, for the most part, the peaceful protests we have seen by reasonable citizens are about concerns for the safety of their children, the impact on house values and the added burden on local health services.
“It’s been interesting to see the sudden outbreak of nimbyism from those liberal voices previously so enthusiastic about migration now shouting ‘not in our backyard’ when a migrant camp is opened in their quiet neighbourhood.
“Whatever we might think of the motivation of migrants, they are here in great numbers and will keep coming unless the pull factors are reduced.
“While they await processing for asylum, they are mostly economically inactive because the government does not let them work officially.
“Organised crime gangs will, however, and so will unscrupulous employers, meaning migrants are vulnerable to being recruited into criminal activity or being employed on slave wages in the black economy.
“As Sussex police and crime commissioner, I’ve seen the huge outpouring of anxiety by Crowborough residents faced with the news that around 600 male migrants will be housed at the Crowborough Army Training Camp.
“I’ve listened to the fears of people with young children near by and I’ve seen the dismay of couples buying their home right next to the site wondering if they will ever be able to sell.
“I’ve also talked to young women who are well aware of the sexual assaults committed across the UK by male migrants from starkly different cultures to our own.
“Every rape or robbery committed by a migrant will be swiftly publicised on mainstream and social media fuelling people’s suspicions of all asylum-seekers.
“People need to know that the authorities including the Home Office and their local police can keep their families and asylum-seekers safe.
“That is why I sought assurances from the Chief Constable of Sussex that the force understood the strength of feeling in Crowborough and had a plan and the resources to deal with any criminal behaviour and potential public order issues around the camp.
“I have already submitted a bid for several million pounds of extra government funding to be ready to deal with any issues around the Crowborough camp without denuding other communities of the policing they already pay for and deserve.
“This is an unsustainable sticking plaster and a whack-a-mole approach that pushes the security problem and increased cost on to local police forces.
“With thousands of people awaiting asylum processing, the potential for them to become involved in crime – as a perpetrator or victim – is inevitable, meaning police will be looking for people with very little official ID or existing digital footprint in the UK.
“Here in Sussex, we have launched the first electronic tagging pilot for persistent shoplifters and the results are promising. The police monitoring the tags can tell exactly where the offenders are and, so far, the shoplifters are changing their behaviours.
“With rights comes responsibilities so my proposal is that we explore requiring asylum-seekers – starting with male migrants – to wear an electronic tag of some form.
“This could provide them with greater freedom to travel further from migrant holding centres and could be the first step in making it more feasible to get temporary jobs.
“If migrants refused to wear a tag, it would be an indication that they are intending to abscond or are involved in unlawful activity.
“The Home Office have signalled that they will start to house male migrants in Crowborough Army Camp early in the new year despite weeks of peaceful protest and opposition from residents.
“I have a new year’s resolution for the Home Secretary – why not be bold and pilot tagging of the men due to arrive soon at Crowborough?
“You might end up being thanked by taxpayers, the police and the migrants themselves.”
Councillor Millward, deputy leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, is also the deputy leader of Wealden District Council which covers Crowborough.
She said that asylum-seekers had been tagged during a year-long trial that started in 2022 but the move was ruled to be unlawful by the Information Commissioner’s Office.
Most were fleeing danger and persecution, she said, and should be allowed to work and to be treated with dignity – not as criminals.
If they were allowed to work, she added, they would be more likely to be able to support themselves and less likely to need to be housed in places such as hotels, army barracks and other makeshift facilities.
