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, demonstrating how well islanders come together to protect our home.
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.
Didn’t happen around the rest of the country, they just took them.
Are there different rules and procedures on the island.