Planned asylum seeker detention centre next to Oxfordshire sewage works criticised

Thames Water has warned that a proposed expansion of Campsfield House immigration removal centre could expose detainees to strong smells, swarms of insects and possible sewage flooding. The concerns have fuelled criticism of the Home Office’s plan, which campaigners say risks compromising residents’ health and dignity.

The proposed accommodation would be about 20 metres from a sewage pumping station, and Thames Water has also raised concerns about local water and sewer network capacity. The Home Office plans to increase the centre from 160 to 400 places as part of a wider 40% expansion of immigration detention capacity. A public inquiry is due to begin on 14 December; Oxfordshire County Council opposes the expansion, while the Home Office says it is confident in its plans.