Operating the Crowborough facility is contractor Clearsprings Ready Homes, an enterprise whose head, Graham King, recently attained billionaire status by pulling in millions daily through government housing agreements for migrants. Secret footage captured by an undercover worker shows personnel acknowledging severe backlogs in executing their mandatory monthly total of 1,000 resident assessments. Employees expressed their frustration over the heavy workload, with one worker candidly remarking, “We’re so fucked.” Another employee guided the hidden journalist to minimize effort during evaluations, advising that “you don’t need to go in too deep”.
These revelations surfaced following an investigation for the ITV documentary Inside The Asylum Camp, where a reporter secured employment as a support worker inside the converted East Sussex military facility. The journalist discovered four or five victims of physical abuse who appeared to have been relocated to the base in violation of regulations. The center relies on communal dormitory living, directly conflicting with a High Court decree from last May that banned forcing victims of violence into shared sleeping spaces. Inadequate screening procedures at the facility are causing severe harm to vulnerable individuals seeking international protection.
Establishing large-scale facilities like Crowborough and Essex’s Wethersfield forms the core strategy for ministers attempting to move away from using commercial hotels for housing applicants. Additional proposals targeting locations such as Bicester, Barnham, and Linton-on-Ouse have ignited strong backlash from nearby residents, sparking demonstrations including a gathering at Crowborough in January 2026. Although neighbors frequently voice apprehensions regarding potential spikes in aggressive offenses, law enforcement records at both active locations confirm extremely low rates of even minor infractions among residents.
Reacting to the broadcast, Asylum Matters executive director Louise Calvey condemned the practice of housing traumatized refugees in former defense facilities, urging the government to immediately reconsider its strategy. “The reports of torture survivors being accommodated on military barracks are appalling,” she stated. She highlighted the plight of those fleeing hardship, noting: “Brave survivors endure appalling experiences arriving to a country where they thought they’d be safe – a supposed civilised country, placing them in camps without the support they desperately need.” Calvey added: “People being held in isolation for prolonged periods of time without access to sufficient water demonstrate just how far we have fallen as a country. That government contractors can fail so resoundingly in their duty of care to people seeking safety in our country demonstrates how much our system dehumanises refugees.” The charity leader characterized the policy as “a choice to punish people for having the audacity to exercise their lawful right to seek asylum here”.
Documentary evidence further demonstrates that digital alerts intended to highlight vulnerable individuals are routinely overlooked by operational staff. A staff member was recorded explaining that “Those flags mean nothing” and emphasizing that “nobody ever looks at them again”. When asked directly if vulnerable individuals were slipping past oversight due to hurried interviews, the worker confirmed, “Oh, absolutely.” Requests for comment regarding the broadcast’s findings have been submitted to both Clearsprings and the Home Office.
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