The first group of migrants have arrived at an army camp overnight as the Home Office pushes ahead with plans to house 540 male asylum seekers at the barracks.
The migrants were driven in via a 16-seater coach in the early hours of Thursday morning, it is understood.
It follows months of furious protests from locals, who have marched through the Sussex town every Sunday since the plans were announced.
The coach, with a police escort, was driven onto the camp in persistent rain just after 3am this morning.
Local councillor James Partridge confirmed last night that he had been contacted by Home Office minister Alex Norris.
A large police presence has remained at the camp on Thursday morning.
The coach was hired from a firm based near Gatwick airport.
The decision to start moving migrants into the army camp is unlawful, campaigners said.
A blacked-out mini van with a police escort driven into a migrant camp in the early hours of Thursday morning
A large police presence has remained at the camp on Thursday morning
Chair of the Crowborough Shield campaign Kim Bailey said group are hoping to get an injunction following the decision to house migrants at the camp.
In a statement, she said: ‘We will be considering with our legal team the possibility of obtaining an injunction to prevent occupation (or further occupation) of the site and in any event will be continuing our judicial review which the Home Secretary has shamefully failed to properly participate in.
‘The hopelessly inadequate, dishonest and biased Screening Direction that has had to be issued to support the Home Secretary’s decision, clearly supports our case that this entire scheme is unlawful.
‘We intend to continue to pursue the Home Secretary to judgment.’
The Daily Mail has contacted the Home Office for comment.
