The British government plans to fund dedicated mental health services for asylum seekers housed at a repurposed military barracks, a move that has drawn criticism from local officials and opposition figures.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The British government is preparing to provide taxpayer-funded personal therapists to asylum seekers housed at a former military facility in Scotland, according to a report, intensifying debate over the cost and prioritization of public services amid record migration levels.
The Home Office has taken control of Cameron Barracks in Inverness to accommodate about 300 adult male asylum seekers as part of a broader effort to reduce reliance on block-booked hotels across the United Kingdom. However, the plan has sparked controversy after The Telegraph reported that residents at the site will receive dedicated, on-site therapists funded by taxpayers.
Local Highland councillors were told this week that mental health services would be provided within the facility so residents would not need to access the local National Health Service. Officials said primary health care, including mental health support, would be available on site, with funding coming directly from the Home Office to minimize strain on nearby GP surgeries and NHS resources.
Critics argue the arrangement effectively gives asylum seekers preferential access to mental health care at a time when local residents often face long waiting lists. In parts of the Highlands, waits of several months for NHS therapy appointments are common.
Thomas Kerr, a spokesman for Reform UK, said the decision had angered residents. “The Cameron Barracks is simply the wrong location for a facility like this. Local people are rightly angry and demanding their voices be heard,” Kerr said. “To now learn that taxpayers will also be paying for mental health support for people who have come to this country illegally is a massive slap in the face.”
Edward Mountain, a Conservative MSP for the Highlands and Islands region, echoed those concerns, saying residents would be “shocked” to learn they were funding additional services for asylum seekers. “That is particularly galling when many of those living in Inverness and the Highlands are finding it increasingly hard to access mental health services and other frontline public services in their community,” he said.
Under the government plan, residents at Cameron Barracks will also receive free accommodation, three meals a day, dental care, general health care, and pocket money. It remains unclear whether the government intends to hire private therapists or draw on existing NHS staff. Private therapy sessions in the UK typically cost between £40 and £100 per appointment.
The expanded services come as the cost of the UK asylum system continues to rise sharply. According to data from the Migration Observatory, the annual cost increased to £5.4 billion in the 2023–24 financial year, up from £538 million in 2011–12. As of September last year, more than 36,000 asylum seekers were being housed in hotels across the country, with the figure expected to grow following a rise in illegal Channel crossings from France.
The government has pledged to end the use of hotels to house asylum seekers by 2029, with facilities such as Cameron Barracks forming a central part of that transition strategy.
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