JUST under two months ago people living in the quiet seaside town of Lee-on-the-Solent never imagined they would be locked in conflict with the government.
But ever since the Home Office announced it was considering housing 400 male asylum seekers at HMS Daedalus thousands of residents from across our communities have said no to the plan.
Today for the very first time, Beverley Hughes, pictured, Home Office minister for citizenship, immigration and community cohesion answers her critics exclusively in the Daily Echo.
"There has been a great deal of speculation and misinformation about Home Office plans to build an accommodation centre for asylum seekers in Gosport.
Our commitment to consult with the people of Gosport and their representatives is paramount, and I have recently met with your local MP and council representatives to listen to their concerns about plans for this site.
If we decide to seek planning permission, the consultation will be extensive and focus on the detailed concerns people have.
Everyone agrees that we have to reform the asylum system, tackle abuse and return it to its intended purpose - a route to safe haven for those people fleeing persecution.
To do this, we have to put in place a new process that will enable us to keep in close contact with those seeking asylum.
Accommodation centres are an essential part of that process and we have to find suitable places for such centres.
There has been considerable debate surrounding the government's plans for a possible trial accommodation centre site at Gosport. I recognise that people will have concerns and I want to ensure that the facts are on hand for people to make an informed contribution to the debate.
I want to make it clear that we are currently in the very early stages of site evaluation at Gosport and contrary to speculation, the Home Office has not applied for planning permission. A detailed assessment of the site will take time.
While I understand people want an early decision, technical evaluations will continue for the next couple of months, so that when I make a decision on whether to seek planning approval, I will be confident that we have made the right choice.
Many people in the local community have asked similar questions and our website www.gosport-centre.co.uk has been updated to provide the answers to these."
THE IMMIGRATION MINISTER ANSWERS SOME COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PLANS FOR AN ACCOMODATION CENTRE:
Q. Will the centre increase pressure on local health services?
A. The centre we are considering would provide primary health care for those destitute asylum seekers on site. This would include a GP service, dentistry, and other basic health care facilities. They would not be at the expense of existing local provision and they would be paid for by central government.
Q. We have a lack of social amenities in Gosport, will the asylum seekers put more strain on this?
A. The centre would provide purposeful activities for asylum seekers accommodated there. These would include sport and adult education classes, as well as volunteering opportunities in Gosport or Portsmouth.
It is important to make clear that the focus of the centres will be on processing asylum claims quickly and effectively. Asylum seekers will be required to attend for interviews and will be expected to comply with the processing of their claims. They will in addition, have to comply with conditions of residence - such as, reporting regularly to an Immigration Service official, staying in the centres overnight etc. The intention is to process the claims and move people on - either by removing them from the UK if their application is rejected, or supporting their integration into UK society if they are given leave to remain because they are genuinely fleeing torture and persecution.
Q. Will there be an increase in crime in the local area?
A. There is no evidence to support suggestions that asylum seekers are any more likely to commit crimes than anyone else.
Asylum seekers who engage in criminal behaviour are subject to the due process of law, and may be brought before our courts in the same way as any other citizen. If an individual were convicted of a serious criminal offence they would find themselves without the protection of the 1951 Refugee Convention and would face removal from this country.
Q. Will there be a threat to naval/national security and naval families?
A. The government would not in any circumstances put at risk the security of the UK. The Home Office is liaising with the MoD about issues specific to HMS Daedalus.
Q. Will the Home Office compensate local homeowners if there is a change in house prices?
A. We do not anticipate any grounds for compensation of this sort. There are many factors that affect house prices.
We do not accept that an accommodation centre need be a detriment to a local community.
Jobs would be created once the centre is operational and there would be the potential for supply contracts for local businesses. The centre would also regenerate a site which is currently not being used.
Q. Will there be any non-Christian worship facilities in the centre?
A. Yes. Facilities will be provided for Christians, Muslims and members of other faiths.
Q. If the centre were to be given the go-ahead would this impact on the already high Council Tax?
A.The accommodation centre, including its operation, would be paid for by central rather than local government. There should be no reason for Council Tax rates to rise as a result.
Q. Why has there been a lack of consultation?
A. We do not accept that there has been. As soon as HMS Daedalus appeared to be a serious prospect, we put this information into the public domain. We had, a few days before this, spoken in confidence with Gosport Borough Council so that they were not caught unawares.
We are currently involved in detailed work on the site before we make a final decision on whether to proceed with a planning notification. We have worked hard to keep local people informed throughout this process by, for example, arranging for the delivery of an information leaflet to 30,000 addresses in and around the Gosport area. A website has also been set up and is being updated as new information becomes available. We have also received and responded to hundreds of letters from local people and the contents of those letters are being put to Home Office Ministers.
Q. Will the centre have a negative effect on tourism?
A. There is no evidence to suggest that there would be any impact on tourism in this area, or indeed in any other.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article