The Home Office has been accused of "pouring fuel on the fire" after officials revealed plans to nearly quintuple the number of asylum seekers housed in shared properties in Breckland, Norfolk, an area already rocked by anti-migrant protests. Councillors say the district, which includes Thetford, saw several nights of unrest in August, and the new plan would compound tensions around nearby RAF Barnham, where a separate scheme could house at least 1,250 migrants on a former military base. Local leaders from both Reform and the Conservatives have condemned the process, saying decisions are being imposed without consultation or transparency.

At a closed-door meeting with Norfolk councillors, Home Office officials confirmed they want to use 240 rooms in houses of multiple occupation (HMOs) for asylum seekers in Breckland, up from 56 beds currently, a 428 per cent increase. Thetford saw violent protests on 4 and 5 August, including two officers hospitalised, one hit by a rock and another bitten, with several arrests made; Watton and Dereham have also seen unrest or disputes over migrant housing. The policy forms part of the government's shift away from costly hotel accommodation, previously running at £8 million a day, towards "dispersed accommodation" in communities, a move Breckland Council leader Sam Chapman-Allen says lacks proper infrastructure, support services or public consultation.