Hundreds of demonstrators have taken to the streets of a town housing migrants at a former army camp chanting ‘Keir Starmer is a traitor’.
Locals in the east Sussex town of Crowborough gathered at the gates of the camp before marching into the town.
Around 450 male asylum seekers are set to move into the barracks as part of a plan to reduce the number of hotels used to house migrants.
For the past 14 weeks, protesters have gathered in large numbers every Sunday to raise their objections to the Labour government’s controversial plans.
It was also revealed today that some women in the town say they are now too scared to leave their homes.
They braved poor weather and today vowed to continue the protests for ‘months on end’ until the migrants leave the camp.
Chants of ‘whose town, our town’ and ‘Keir Starmer is a traitor’ were heard.
It is the second protest to be held after migrants moved into the camp on January 19.
Protesters march through Crowborough on February 1, 2026, to voice their anger at asylum seekers being housed at a nearby army camp
Migrants are seen at the Crowborough Training Camp, a former military site last week
Demonstrators held up banners saying ‘Crowborough says no’ in defiance against the decision
Other chants included ‘Whose street? Our street’. Union Jack flags were also on display, as well as signs like ‘Crowborough says no’ and ‘protect our community’ as they marched the two miles from the army camp to the chapel green.
Locals today vowed to continue the demonstrations for ‘as long as it takes’.
Alison Smith, who has been a resident of Crowborough for almost 50 years, said that it was the first series of protests she had attended.
She said: ‘We are absolutely enraged that there has been no consultation with the Home Office at all apart from one online meeting.’
Michael Enfield, 45, said: ‘We will keep going week after week. We will not stop until they are gone. If that takes years, so be it.
‘It’s the only way we have of getting our message out there.
‘There have been crimes linked to other migrant hotels. These crimes have been really serious. We do not want this here.
‘It is not the right place for them, or us. We are living in fear. I know women who will not leave the house. It’s that bad.
‘We’re supposed to live in a free society. But we have women who will not leave their own home. That’s horrific.’
Protesters young and old marched through the town centre for the 14th week in a row
People enter a building at Crowborough army training camp, repurposed by the UK government as an accommodation centre for asylum seekers, in Crowborough, January 23, 2026
Debbie, who did not want to give her surname, another longtime Crowborough resident in her 60s, described the Home Office’s response as ‘flippant’.
She said: ‘The Home Office have committed to giving 48 hours notice, they gave less than 12 hours. They must be ashamed of what they’ve done, which is why they moved them under cover of darkness. But today has been lovely to see the community come together to protest the dumping of these men here.
‘We don’t know who they are or anything about their background. I have two daughters and I am very concerned for their safety.’
The protest ended with speeches from the local community. Independent district councillor Andrew Wilson said ‘parents are thinking twice about letting their kids walk alone in the streets’.
Ryan Stuart, 39, said he was ‘seething’ with anger that he felt the town had not been listened to.
The decorator added: ‘I think we’re all being taken as fools. I’ll march forever until they go. We will not give up.’
More marches are planned in the coming weeks.
A major security operation is in force to keep the peace, which includes drones flying overhead.
The site accommodates single adult male illegal migrants who are claiming asylum in the UK and will be scaled up to hold more than 500
Katy Bourne (pictured) – who has served as the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) of Sussex since 2012 – has been accused of taking a side after she attended a protest in Crowborough, East Sussex
The Home Office has said the asylum seekers will be registered with a medic based inside the base, and will only use off-site services if they require additional treatment.
Officials said this would minimise the impact on local GP services, although it is certain to anger local residents struggling with a shortage of appointments.
Yesterday, the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Sussex was censured for attending a protest outside the camp in November.
Katy Bourne – who has served as the PCC of Sussex since 2012 – has been accused of taking a side after she attended a protest in Crowborough, East Sussex.
The march in November last year saw hundreds of people take to the streets after the Labour Government announced controversial plans to house up to 500 migrants in the former military camp.
Ms Bourne’s decision to join protesters caused outrage among members of a crime panel, made up of councillors and other delegates, who claimed that she was no longer impartial on the issue.
Now, the panel have declared they have lost confidence in Ms Bourne and voted in favour of censuring her.
A separate motion, brought by the panel, also claimed the commissioner, who is running to become the first Sussex mayor, had ‘brought the office into disrepute’ due to a lack of impartiality.
In response to the panel, the Conservative PCC said she ‘on trial for doing my job’ and claimed the motion was a ‘co-ordinated personal attack on my integrity.’
Last week, three people were arrested after protesters blocked a vehicle leaving the army camp.
Sussex Police said the arrests followed two incidents at the entrance to the East Sussex camp on Friday, January 23.
A force spokesman said: ‘The gathering was initially peaceful, however when a vehicle was leaving the site, three individuals were threatening and intimidatory.
‘The individuals caused an obstruction, shouted abuse, and struck the vehicle, alarming the driver and passengers.’
