# UK villages protest asylum seeker housing at military bases > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/uk-village-protests-over-asylum-seeker-housing > Updated: 2026-09-24T11:27:44.000Z. Sources: 26. Developments: 4. In Oxfordshire, residents of Piddington held a symbolic referendum to declare independence from the United Kingdom. The vote, organized by the local Parish Council, saw 285 residents vote in favor of secession and 26 against. The protest was a response to government plans to house up to 1,256 male asylum seekers at a nearby former Ministry of Defence site in Bicester. While the referendum lacks legal authority, participants declared the area the ‘Principality of Piddington’. Government officials stated that the plan to use former military bases to reduce reliance on hotels would proceed. Following these events, the village of Barnham in Suffolk began considering its own symbolic independence referendum. This move follows similar Home Office plans to use the nearby RAF Barnham military base to house approximately 1,250 asylum seekers, an influx that would more than double the village's population. Barnham officials indicated they are looking to the Piddington community for guidance as they seek to draw public attention to local concerns regarding community safety and way of life. Local leaders in Barnham, including Parish Council Chairman John Bauer, expressed concerns that the proposed accommodation of up to 1,256 asylum seekers would overwhelm the small community, which has fewer than 600 residents and lacks basic amenities like shops or pubs. The Home Office has identified RAF Barnham as one of three potential sites intended to accommodate a total of 3,750 migrants. The Ministry of Defence noted that such sites are typically used only during the initial processing stage of asylum claims. Protests have also emerged in Crowborough, Sussex, following the conversion of a military base into a camp for approximately 540 male migrants. In Crowborough, demonstrators gathered to voice opposition to the site, while counter-protesters also held rallies in support of the migrants. ## Claims - Barnham Parish Council is considering a symbolic independence referendum to protest asylum seeker accommodation plans. (corroborated by 2 sources) - Piddington residents voted 285–26 in favor of a symbolic secession from the UK. (corroborated by 2 sources) - The Home Office identified RAF Barnham as one of three sites considered to accommodate up to 3,750 migrants. (single source) - The Ministry of Defence stated asylum seekers would typically only be housed at the site during initial claim processing. (single source) - John Bauer, chairman of Barnham Parish Council, stated that no residents he spoke with support the government plans. (single source) ## Timeline ### 2026-09-24: Piddington village votes for independence to protest asylum seeker housing The Oxfordshire village of Piddington voted overwhelmingly in a non-binding referendum to declare independence from the UK, protesting plans to house 1,256 asylum seekers at a nearby military base. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/piddington-village-votes-for-independence-to-protest-asylum-seeker-housing ### 2026-09-21: Barnham village considers symbolic independence vote over asylum seeker plans The Suffolk village of Barnham is considering a symbolic independence referendum to protest plans to house asylum seekers at a nearby former RAF base, following a similar vote in Piddington. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/barnham-village-considers-symbolic-independence-vote-over-asylum-seeker-plans ### 2026-09-19: UK villages protest asylum seeker housing at military bases English villages, including Barnham and Crowborough, are protesting Home Office plans to house asylum seekers at former military bases through demonstrations and symbolic independence referendums. 5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/barnham-village-considers-independence-referendum-over-asylum-seeker-housing-plans ### 2026-09-17: Piddington village votes for symbolic independence from the UK The Oxfordshire village of Piddington held a symbolic referendum to declare independence from the UK, protesting government plans to house over 1,200 asylum seekers at a nearby former military base. 18 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/piddington-residents-vote-for-independence-to-protest-refugee-center --- Cite as: UK villages protest asylum seeker housing at military bases. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/uk-village-protests-over-asylum-seeker-housing