Local MP Alan Mak has called on Labour to scrap plans for asylum seekers to be housed in Waterlooville Town Centre.
Whilst the site in question is located in the neighbouring constituency, Mr Mak has represented concerned constituents' voices and has written to the Labour Home Secretary and the Labour Leader of Havant Borough Council calling on them to cancel their plans.
Mr Mak was not informed either by the Home Office or Havant Borough Council regarding their plans and only became aware of them when they were released into the general public domain.
It came to light that Havant Borough Council had missed the deadline for the initial consultation, as the Home Office had sent the consultation to the wrong e-mail address.
Once Mr Mak was aware of Labour’s plans, he immediately contacted both the Home Office and Havant Borough Council to question the process.
The Home Office then made the decision to re-open the consultation, but members of the public are not able to take part.
Mr Mak launched a petition, seeking residents’ views and ensuring that their voices were heard within his response to the consultation.
Commenting on the plans, Mr Mak said "I’m opposed to Labour’s plans to house asylum seekers in Waterlooville, including any that have entered the UK illegally. This process shown the incompetence of Labour both in the Home Office and locally at Havant Borough Council. Labour have ignored the views of local residents, but not they must u-turn and cancel their plan for asylum seeker housing in Waterlooville.”
At every level Labour have made a mess of this issue, and it is time to put an end to this fiasco. They must stop their plans to house any asylum seekers or illegal migrants within the borough of Havant."
