UK’s first military barracks housing asylum seekers closes after six years

Napier barracks, where men slept in dormitories, and some slept outside in sub-zero temperatures due to fears of catching Covid. Photograph: Gareth Fuller/PA

The UK’s first and most longstanding military barracks used to accommodate asylum seekers is closing its doors on Thursday after almost six years.

The closure of the controversial Napier barracks in Folkestone comes at a time when the government has pledged to expand its use of this form of accommodation as an alternative to expensive hotels, which anti-migrant and far-right protesters have criticised for being “luxurious”, but which asylum seekers and those who work with them say are often rundown and unsuitable.