Piddington residents in Oxfordshire in the United Kingdom are unsettled as they fear for their safety, since migrants will be free to move around the village. “We pay our taxes, but nobody represents us”

A plan to house up to 1,250 male migrants at nearby military facilities has caused a furious reaction in a small village, given that the number of arrivals would be more than triple the roughly 350 people who live there.

According to the Daily Express, anger in Piddington has reached such a pitch that residents have decided to hold a symbolic referendum on the village’s “secession” from the United Kingdom, as a way of protesting what they see as the government’s failure to listen to their concerns.

The referendum has the backing of the parish council, and signs reading “No to the MOD asylum centre in Bicester” have gone up around the village.

“1,250 men in a village of 356 people”

The plan involves housing up to 1,250 men at facilities within Bicester barracks, near Piddington.

Residents describe the site as “completely unsuitable”, arguing that the area lacks the infrastructure needed to accommodate such a large number of people.

Fifty nine year old resident Melis Witkin insists the objections have nothing to do with whether the area is considered well off. “It’s not about whether we’re rich or poor. It’s about safety,” she said.

She noted that 356 people live in the village, including 46 children, and that the arrival of 1,250 men creates, in her view, an extremely difficult ratio. She also pointed out that the road connecting the area to the facilities has no pavements and no adequate lighting, raising a safety issue even for the asylum seekers themselves.

“We don’t have a pub, we don’t have a shop. What are the asylum seekers going to do here?” she asked. “We pay our taxes, but nobody represents us”

Sixty year old Tim McNally, chair of Piddington’s parish council, is one of those backing the symbolic referendum. He says residents had to lobby for months before getting any meaningful response from political leaders. “The whole system is broken, and this country’s politics is broken, because nobody represents us,” he said.

“We pay our money, we pay our taxes, but we’re not represented. Now we’re pushing back. The independence referendum is one example of that,” he added. McNally also pushed back on the argument that more asylum seekers should be sent to wealthy or middle class areas rather than concentrated in poorer communities. He said that just because homes in the area are more expensive doesn’t mean residents didn’t work hard to be able to live there.

Safety concerns

One of the main concerns raised by residents is that the planned centre will not be a closed facility, and those housed there will be able to move around freely during the day.

McNally noted that HMP Bullingdon prison already sits near the village, but stressed that it is a closed, guarded facility. “The asylum centre, unfortunately, won’t be closed. What are a thousand men going to do all day?” he asked. He also voiced doubts about assurances that everyone transferred there will have passed security checks.

Karen Joy, who lives in the village with her husband Derek, said residents feel their concerns have been ignored for a long time. “We’re a very small village and there’s nothing for the people at the centre to do. Our worry is that they’ll come into the village and there’s zero security,” she said. “We’re scared. We have a very safe and beautiful community. We won’t feel safe anymore,” she added. “Everyone should take their share, but ours has become excessive”

Graham Burchell, a farmer in Piddington since 1970, said he agrees with the principle of distributing asylum seekers across different parts of the country, but considers the burden being placed on this particular community disproportionate. “I agree everyone should take their share of asylum seekers, but our share has become excessive,” he said.

He also referred to the existing prison as well as a traveller site recently set up in the area, arguing that the community is being asked to absorb one pressure after another. “We don’t need the centre, we don’t want it, and we’d be much better off without it,” he said.

Burnham: The burden cannot fall only on the poorest areas

Asked about the backlash in Piddington, Andy Burnham said he would look into residents’ concerns and hear what they have to say. “I don’t know the issue in depth yet, but as I understand it, it’s essentially about creating a safe space,” he said.

He acknowledged that implementing the plan would be difficult, but pledged to consider the “reasonable concerns” of the local community.

At the same time, he defended the need for a wider geographical distribution of asylum seekers. “We can’t have a situation where only the poorest communities in the country take on the whole burden of housing refugees and asylum seekers. I believe every part of the country needs to play its part,” he said.