More than 2,000 people have signed a petition demanding that Islanders are properly consulted before any asylum accommodation is commissioned on the Isle of Wight, amid growing local debate over whether the Island could be expected to accommodate asylum seekers in the future.
The Change.org petition, launched on 13th August, has now attracted 2,055 signatures at the time of publication.
It calls on the Isle of Wight Council, Home Office and other relevant authorities to ensure that no asylum accommodation is commissioned locally without public consultation and assessments of the potential impact on Island services.
Those behind the petition stress that the campaign is not about race or religion, nor is it an argument against providing sanctuary for people in genuine need.
Instead, they say their concerns centre on transparency and whether the Isle of Wight has sufficient capacity when housing, healthcare and other services are already under pressure.
The petition reinforces the argument whereby decisions made about the Island must involve the Island.
Among the issues highlighted are housing availability, GP access, ferry dependency, policing, schools, tourism, transport and fire safety.
The petition calls for full public consultation, published impact assessments, legal and planning reviews, fire safety and housing suitability checks, as well as assessments on the pressure that would potentially be placed on local services and calls for clear communication between residents and councillors.
It argues that if hotels, Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), holiday sites, former care homes, public buildings or private accommodation were being considered, Islanders should be told before decisions are finalised.
The petition follows renewed debate about asylum accommodation on the Isle of Wight.
Last week, Reform UK councillors on the Isle of Wight Council vowed to oppose attempts to use the Island for asylum accommodation after Prime Minister Andy Burnham said all parts of the country should ‘play their part’ in the dispersal of refugees and asylum seekers, as previously reported by Island Echo.
Central Rural representative and Reform UK Group Leader on the Isle of Wight Council, James Whelan, argued that the Isle of Wight already faces significant pressures on housing, healthcare, social care and other public services despite no specific Government proposal to accommodate asylum seekers on the Isle of Wight having been detailed at that time.
Earlier this week, Island Echo also reported on a proposal published by an independent political advocacy website called The Burnham Programme, which suggested establishing a purpose-built asylum processing centre on the Isle of Wight.
That proposal, which is not an official Government policy, was not written by Andy Burnham nor is it endorsed by the Prime Minister, his team or any organisation associated with him failed to reference any location, capacity or opening date.
The new petition similarly does not identify a confirmed scheme to house asylum seekers on the Isle of Wight.
Instead, its organisers are seeking assurances about the process that would be followed should any such proposal emerge in the future.
The petition says:
“This is a capacity and accountability issue.
“If any large accommodation scheme were being imposed on the Island without consultation, residents would be right to ask questions.”
It adds that local people understand the particular limitations associated with Island life and says these should be properly considered before any accommodation scheme is approved.
You find the petition here.
Didn’t happen around the rest of the country, they just took them.
Are there different rules and procedures on the island.
No the people in other areas had no choice they were forced on them, what we are saying is we want that decision, What’s wrong with that.
Nothing is wrong with that, but you don’t honestly believe
you will have a choice.
Look what happened in Crowborough East Sussex
Hundreds were dropped off in the early hours of the morning.
The island will kick up a much bigger fight than anywhere else, why? because we ARE an island.
Britain is a small island and they sat back and let
it happen.
You don’t think an island with a low population
mainly an elderly population will be able to stop what
will happen do you.
“This is a capacity and accountability issue”.
If only!
For starters No Mandate Andy was parachuted in as Prime Minister for the whole country by about 25,000 Liebore voters in Munchester!
Where is the “accountability” there?
And if anyone is stupid enough to believe that the lying bastard Tory Party would do things differently, just have a look back at Boris (The Stud) Johnsons wave of over 500,000 illegals.
They (illegals) are already here, albeit in small numbers, but loads of “property developers” are going to get in on the act with HMOs rented out to the government at eye watering rates.
And, as usual on this topic, NO comments at all from Squigley or Robertson, wastes of space that they are.
Now wait for the racist, xenophobe, insults from the usual sources, who could not care less about this island, or the big one to the north.
It is NOT illegal to be a refugee or to see asylum. This sort of hate-filled divisive and frankly ignorant rhetoric is typical of Reform supporters who can’t even be bothered to do a tiny bit of research into the immigration issue. Illegal immigrants are those that arrive without ever presenting themselves to authorities and gaining authorisation to remain. They have no access to the benefits system and generally need to work in the black economy to survive. They are often victims of modern slavery and live in terrible conditions.
Chris, you are very naive or starting like a lot of young adults thinking it’s trendy to be as left as you can with politics. The majority of illegals that arrive in Dover and other parts of the country are military aged men that we know nothing about their background. But we do know that they have different values and beliefs to our country and have no respect for our laws. Have you been to Bournemouth recently? It’s finished as a beautiful tourism town that it once was. Why, because of illegal immigrants have now taken over. I have no idea where you think that they have no access to benefits here! Wake up Chris out of your bubble.
Your reply lacks credability and fact, it is a criminal offence to enter the country illegally, also the illegal immigrants receive monies each week not supposedly benefits but include food allowances , mobile phones, clothes allowance and essential use of taxis so they can travel because buses are beneath them.
You are a fucking idiot!
When boatloads of illegal migrants arrive here with NO visa, NO written invitation to come and NO promise of employment AND they have left a safe Country – France, they are illegal immigrants.
France are letting them cross, too be honest France
don’t want them.
France has no obligation to stop them heading to the UK, a non European country.
Maybe the 2000+ signees of the petition would like to push for all of those recommendations in any instance. Not just as a veiled excuse for not wanting any of ‘that lot’ coming over here and getting lavished with freebies. There are a lot of standing issues already with provision of housing, availability of services etc. Why all of a sudden is there a push for transparency and consultation on matters. I don’t believe that a space for refugees or asylum seekers would have any noticeable impact on services given that the money for it would come from a different pot and not directly from the islanders.
The only noticeable difference would be a larger concentration of people that might not look and speak like us. And that is the real truth of the matter that concerns these petitioners.
Maybe you should take a few in then, they are trouble and the public have had enough…. NOT FAR RIGHT, OUR RIGHTS.
I work in public service, and the ONLY incidences I’ve ever had of ‘trouble’ has come from white British.
I too am ‘the public’; don’t you dare tar me with your disgusting xenophobic brush. That is MY right, to not have people like you speak for people like me.
Did I mention colour, no I did not, don’t tar me with the racist card either. Isn’t to tar someone a nasty comment anyway, and you used it first haha
Look at all the trouble on the island
all from white British
Perhaps that’s because the current inhabitants are almost entirely white British. Obviously an influx of uncontained fighting age males from countries with violent histories is likely to produce an opportunity to change that statistic.
Really, you are very blinkered, there is not a day goes by without an illegal being arrested for rape or murder
Was there one today, or yesterday?
I think Irish Anus has trouble differentiating between xenophobia and racism. This just about sums up most of the problem. Undereducated and oversensitive.
Sorry my lovely, but the government have had to publish guidance to explain that we don’t accept rape or violence in our country. Lock up your daughters and hope that they have good teeth.
Already doing my bit. I don’t wave banners, flags, attend protests or leaflet for any side or neither side. I see people who need help and where i can, I do. Be it homeless natives of the island, People not so well off, do a bit of handywork/DIY pro bono, give lifts to strangers, always stop to offer help to broken down cars, cyclists etc. They can be any colour, shape, ethnicity or whatever. As a side comment, I see more non ethnic locals in the local news for violence against spouses, their kids or the general public. Lots of white locals repeatedly s*x offending against minors and too many island born people drug and drink driving. Very few, if any of these crimes are being committed by ‘that lot’. I don’t think the locals’ offending rate will go down upon the arrival of ‘the others’, do you?
So 2,000 Reformers have got their knickers in a twist,
hardly a large percentage of Islanders.
They’ll only be in the centre temporarily. Until all the new build houses are ready for them
1 year minimum actually. Can be longer in some circumstances, hell knows why, they are here illegally, kick them out!!
Your facts are wrong, yet again. Look up the difference between asylum seekers, detention centre migrants and the processing times before you spout b*ll*cks agin.
Beats working hard to buy a property.
That’s what I love about the Isle of Wight. Everybody is working hard to buy properties. Nobody on benefits, no unemployed and definitely no crime. It’s the Utopian dream. All societies should be built around the Isle of Wight model.
Yeah, right. And bears don’t crap in the woods.
It is down to numbers, we can’t afford to keep these illegals at the expense of our own population, Take some into your home and look after them then.
We don’t, any more than any other country does. Look up the stats.
If the West didn’t obliterate their homes they would
not of had to flee their own countries,
hence payback time.
Strange how it’s mostly only young men who need to flee their own countries….
Absolutely! Give a bed to a couple of 14 year old blokes with beards, and wives back home.
Logistically and cost wise any development on the island would need to be carefully considered, by any government appointed contractors. Not just that but staffing as well. Up until now the Solent has been a barrier to asylum dispersal here. The council would be heavily involved in any process. Let’s hope for full transparency if the need arises in the future as this is a real political hot potato.
Oh for gods sake…..proving once again that over 2000 inhabitants can’t read, can’t absorb information, can’t think critically and so opt for signing their names with an X in a box once they’ve been told what to do by social media.
By the way….little fluffy kittens are being injected with green food dye and let loose in Newport. We’ll be over-run with feral green cats and they will mix the gene pool when your tabby has kittens.
Who wants to start the petition?
Let’s hope that the migrants can read and absorb the Home Office leaflet of please don’t rape our women and children.
I’m really, truly sorry that your parents & the education system failed you so terribly, but please don’t make it everyone else’s problem. ‘Our’ women & children are increasingly at risk from ‘our’ men, to a staggering degree. Every time England loses the football, women in this country pay the price at home. Genuinely.
Don’t pretend it’s because you care about women & children, you just hate ‘others’ & can’t think for yourself. Go look up some stats on who harms the most women & children in this country, it isn’t refugees.
Simple question, see if you can answer it without insults.
Who and why is the Home office leaflet being handed to?
(OK, in essence that is two questions but I don’t want to confuse you)
Why, because that’s the job of white British males is it? You effing moron. Ever been raped? I can tell you categorically that most rapes and sexual assault are from women’s partners or ex partners who don’t seem to understand the word NO. And it’s their first language.
Perhaps all they need is a leaflet from the home office?
It’s MEN who are the problem, not race or colour you twat.
Tell me then, who is the Home Office leaflet being handed out to and why.
Simple question…
Try not to hit the keyboard with your knuckles.
When the idiot replies with insults, you know you’ve won the debate !!!!!!
They need a similar leaflet for britains to read.
Sorry, you will need to run your comment through AI to see if it can make sense of it.
If you see all the pissed / drugged up local numpties who
are a blot on the islands beautiful landscape.
Ryde, Sandown, Shanklin, Newport, East Cowes and Ventnor
to name a few locations where such persons cause
Anti-social behaviour.
“Give me a migrant any day of the week,
not all people are bad people”
Just look at all the dodgy white British
born and bred persons in the UK who commit
such vile crimes.
Proves the Island gullible and stupid,99% of rape and child abuse is by white hetrosexual men, the Island already has highest numbers of registered sex offenders in the country and they are born and inbred here. Migrants are not the problem, society is by the way migrants are treated. Billionaires are ones making us poorer..
For my third time of asking, simple question, who and why is the Home Office leaflet handed to.
All new adult asylum seekers.
Like all of the Island born s*x offenders did, but still went in to do it anyway.
I would rather see unused care homes put back into service to relieve the pressure on our hospital, than used for any other purpose.
Given the IOW Councils track record, it is almost inevitable that asylum seekers will be housed through the back door.
The “back door” of Mr. Owalabi’s HMO in West Street Newport may soon be open for 17 without need for IWCouncils approval. And they are NOT asylum seekers. They were in France though and several countries before that!
The Council won’t have a say in the matter, they will
do what their mainland bosses tell them to do.
A petition about nothing then? There’s no plans. Is this the definition of scaremongering? Come on, island echo, mackenzie, can you try and be responsible and professional? You can see from the comments here the hard of thinking have been rattled.
The Enemies in Parliament and Whitehall of us decent British Indigenous people and decent Commonwealth people want us gone and are intent on destroying this country. Once these Invaders are brought to the Island Vectis will never be the same and Islanders will be second class citizens as everyone on the Mainland is finding. It is as though we have lost a war we never knew we were fighting and an enemy power has taken over. We have a King who has betrayed his Coronation Oath and by this and his other actions has , in my opinion, abandoned us all.
Finally a person who is switched on to what is really
happening.
Interesting reference to the Commonwealth. Is that the place where white imperialists turned up en masse, destroyed the native settlements and culture whilst forcing our rules, regulations and religion upon them, suppressed their liberties and placed them under the cosh of British brutality? I guess it’s ok to do it that way round. But heavens forbid that any of ‘that lot’ should dare to come here and ask for a few crumbs off the table of excess garnered from the plunderings of their natural resources.
A tad hypocritical methinks. If the refugees and migrants are coming from non Commonwealth countries you can bet that our successive governments have had a hand in their demise too.
Its not just a capacity issue its a vetting issue. Bringing in people that hate your country and increase crime rates and usage of benefits is not free on economy or society. Enough of the touchy feely trying to save the world stuff when the government cant even take care of their own country. These people are perfectly fine in their own country unless its a real active war etc but most are not.
Absolutely agree.
It’s not the fault of people here that the immigrants in question are homeless.is it.
There are already a lot of illegals working and living here, recently it was clearly seen in Ryde. Somebody is trafficking them here. It’s not ideal for anyone either side to be in this position but why this country believes it should be nurturing every homeless immigrant is unreasonable and unfair to UK citizens.Why can’t bigger countries like Australia take them? Because they refuse!!! That’s why
The majority coming over are young angry men yes, no wonder given what’s happening to them. Women have no rights so are the ones left to suffer there with the children. These men are often criminals and have been known to take what isn’t theirs of course they will it’s like an opportunity they’ve never had. Just look at all the fronts of vape shops in the north? We don’t need that happening anywhere let alone here. All those in favour are blissfully ignorant it will be the downfall of this place as it has been the rest of our country.
We are doomed, it’s a mass take over just waiting to happen.You will all suffer the consequences of Trump and Israel in the end
I’ve read all the comments. Five years ago I moved my family over to the island from Bournemouth. Now, our old friends are telling us that we got out just in time. Whole areas of Bournemouth are now run by Albanian gangs, with violence, drugs, Vape Shops, county lines, stabbings and trafficking the norm. It’s naive to think that it couldn’t happen here.
Just remember your isle of wight west Labour mp WRIGERLY QUIGERLY is all in favour of this plan and more diversity. Well if this is the case and it happens let’s stick a couple of dozen in his garden first(never going to happen) and see if that changes his mind. Thank god the clock is ticking on him maximum of 1088 days now.