With prison and immigration inspectors due to visit to Penally Camp last week, as part of a country-wide inspection to be carried out by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration (an independent monitoring body of the Home Office) focusing on barracks and hotels which are currently being used as contingency accommodation for asylum seekers - Penally’s county councillor Jon Preston has revealed some of the submissions he put forward himself, after a ‘call for evidence’ was issued.

Clr. Preston said that AS/MP Liz Saville-Roberts (Westminster leader for Plaid Cymru) had suggested to the Chief Inspector that he should meet with him on site, but Clr. Preston stated that unfortunately, that suggestion was ‘not taken up’.

As part of his submission, Clr. Preston said: “Penally training camp is approaching it’s sixth month under the control of the Home Office. Set out below is my contribution to the Chief Inspectors call for evidence as the local county councillor for Penally, a community that has been significantly impacted by this development.

“These points present a snapshot of the situation to date from my own perspective and by those who have contacted me.

“We remain a community which is uncertain about the future, but also a community which is deeply affected by the way in which the Home Office has implemented such harsh outcomes for both residents and service users. The lack of any empathy shown is quite disturbing.”

Service users at the site have held protests in recent weeks over what they’ve described at ‘poor living conditions’ at the camp, with some vulnerable males already moved to alternative accommodation following legal action.

It was reported this week that around 70 men are still residing at the facility with many having been moved to other accommodation in places such as Cardiff.

The following is a summary of part of Clr. Preston’s submission...

No Consultation - “On September 14, 2020  the Home Office  re-purposed the use of Penally military training camp in Pembrokeshire to accommodate up to 250 male asylum seekers.

“This was carried out without any consultation with the Welsh government or the Local Authority. The Secretary of State for Wales and local MP Simon Hart has stated that he was also unaware of the pending home office acquisition until 48 hours before the facility opened for asylum seeker accommodation.”

Emergency Powers - “It is my understanding that Planning regulations (including Crown sites) are in place to protect the fundamental rights of people in our communities and there exists strict criteria which would only allow policy to be waivered in the most exceptional of circumstances.

“In the case of emergency powers being used there must be a burden of proof that an emergency exists. If the emergency in this case is due to Covid-19 then the burden of proof would first need to state the emergency situation facing the asylum seekers and that the repurpose of the camp provided safety from the dangers presented by that emergency.

“I would argue that given the evidence, the accommodation at the camp does not provide any more safety from Covid than the asylum seekers would have been afforded had they been accommodated within a designated dispersal area.

“There also exists evidence that the safety of the service users has been compromised on more than one occasion and that social distancing is ‘impossible’. I now understand that you have been sent evidence of ‘Covid-Restrictions’ being implemented days prior to your scheduled inspection week.

Windrush enquiry recommendations - “It remains unclear what contingency powers the Home Secretary has used to by-pass all national and local government policies and procedures to commandeer Penally training camp to accommodate asylum seekers.

“However, may I draw your attention to recommendation 8 of the Windrush ‘lessons learned’ review published in March 2020 which states: ‘The Home Office should take steps to understand the groups and communities that its policies affect through improved engagement, social research, and by involving service users in designing its services.

‘In doing this, ministers should make clear that they expect officials to seek out a diverse range of voices and prioritise community-focused policy by engaging with communities, civil society and the public’.

“Despite this recommendation these actions were implemented without any consultation with the Local Community, Local Authority, Welsh Government, Hywel Dda Health Board, Dyfed Powys Police or any other stakeholders.”

Protests and civil unrest - “Living in Penally I am intensely aware of the significant distress this has already caused vulnerable adults in government care and to those in the communities directly impacted by this decision.

“On the evening of September 21 there were some violent scenes outside of Penally camp which continued into the early hours.

“One can only imagine how the residents nearby must have felt.”

“On the morning of September 22, a hunger strike began on the camp. This was to be the first of many protests by the Service Users. We have proven in the past that as a community we can rise to most challenges, however riots on the doorsteps of an elderly community is frightening and damaging to residents of Penally and service users within the camp.

“It is widely agreed that the military training camp at Penally is not fit for the purpose of housing asylum seekers, not least for the fact that the military installation at Penally is transit accommodation and is not suitably equipped to accommodate such numbers for weeks on end, particularly through the winter months.”

Deliberate intention to operate without consent - “The Home Office have recently advised the Local Authority that they will begin the required pre application consultation, a formal 28-day period for public consultation process, in mid-March. 

“Following the consultation period, the responses will be collated, and the Pre-Application Consultation (PAC) Report prepared.

“This means that the site will therefore be under occupation, but without the requisite planning consents being in place, whilst the application process is followed. The asylum seekers have been removed from areas that have the infrastructure to support their essential needs, often without explanation.

“The site at Penally which was described by the Home Office as ‘remote’ is not fit for this purpose. It is situated within a quiet village next to one of the UK’s premier seaside tourist destinations, Tenby.

“This development has attracted a lot of unwelcome attention to the village and has had a negative impact on the local tourist economy which the area is reliant on. No consideration has been afforded to the elderly population in the area or to the needs of a large group of vulnerable adults.”