A RALLYING cry has been issued to Fareham and Gosport residents to make their voices heard when government officials meet council chiefs tomorrow over plans to house asylum seekers at the former HMS Daedalus.
Residents are being urged to stage a demonstration outside the civic offices in Fareham where a meeting will take place between council representatives and project leaders of the controversial plans.
The call comes as a House of Commons report, published today, warns that Britain could become overwhelmed by the spiralling number of asylum seekers.
The Home Affairs Select Committee predicts the situation could trigger social unrest and lead to a political backlash as voters turn to extremist parties.
Meanwhile, the visitors from Whitehall can expect a frosty reception when they arrive tomorrow afternoon for the meeting. Residents opposed to the plans are expected to turn up in numbers to voice their objection.
It will be the first time representatives have officially visited the area to discuss the proposals since the Home Office announcement that the Lee-on-the-Solent airbase had been earmarked to house an asylum seeker accommodation centre.
Gosport council representatives have already met officials and made the trip to London to hammer home their concerns to Home Office minister Beverley Hughes.
Now the Daedalus Action Group has pledged to turn out in force tomorrow to make sure the visitors are shown the strength of opposition to plans to house 400 male asylum seekers in the town.
Chairman John Beavis said: "We certainly would welcome any residents who want to make their voices on this heard to support the protest outside the civic offices in Fareham.
"We will have our banners and our whistles and our yellow baseball caps to make ourselves heard."
"We want to make sure that the Home Office party know that we are still here and we are still fighting the plans to have this accommodation centre at Daedalus."
More than 100 people are expected to turn out for tomorrows welcoming committee after flyers were distributed around Lee and Gosport.
Campaigners and politicians are hoping the meeting will not come too late to influence the decision on whether the government will submit a planning application for the centre.
Fareham council leader Sean Woodward, who will be at the meeting along with planning and transport representative Cllr Arthur Mandy and chief executive Alan Davies, said he was keen to set out their objections.
"We want them to understand the economic and social consequences of what the proposals will mean for Fareham and Gosport.
"I am hoping it will be a positive meeting where we are able to get across our view on these plans. This is simply the wrong facility in the wrong place.
"We know it has been hinted that a decision can be expected soon so I just hope it hasn't already been made and we are therefore wasting our time trying to influence it."
The report by the House of Commons committee has been published at a time when a decision on pursuing the centre at Daedalus is thought to be imminent.
The study highlights many of the fears raised by campaigners against the plans including the concern that there could be thousands of asylum seekers who continue to live in the country illegally after their application has been refused.
Mr Beavis said: "This report just shows that system in place at the moment just isn't working so how can they press ahead with a centre at Daedalus?"
The report reveals there is no reliable statistical information that shows how many asylum seekers live illegally in Britain despite being ordered to leave.
Today will also see Hampshire County Council rubber stamp a £5,000 grant towards the Daedalus Action Fund.
In a report to the council officers have recommended the grant on the grounds that it would help the local community pay for the campaign running costs.
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