'CIVIL WAR': UK Residents Warn Government Over Migrant Housing
Residents in Thetford, England, are sounding the alarm over government plans to accommodate asylum seekers in former military sites and residential properties, warning that their quiet community could be pushed to the breaking point.
Rebel News travelled to Thetford, England, as locals protested plans involving RAF Barnham, a former military site near the town. Residents say their concerns go far beyond the proposed camp, pointing to asylum-seeker accommodation already operating in Houses in Multiple Occupation, or HMOs, throughout the area.
One woman said the prospect of additional single male migrants being housed nearby has fundamentally changed how safe she feels.
“No, I would not. No, I would not,” she said when asked whether she would feel safe walking through Thetford at night. “I probably wouldn't feel safe in my own home if my husband wasn't at home.”
Terry Curtis, a local resident, was even more explicit about what they fear could happen if the government refuses to listen.
“I genuinely believe that, yeah, we're all doing the peaceful side. But long term, if the government don't listen, they're going to have a civil war in their hand,” one demonstrator warned.
Charles Day, a retired civil servant and US air force veteran, who has lived in the UK for 57 years, argued the issue is being dismissed too easily as racism or extremism.
“If you come to where I live and you said you wanted to come across my threshold, I'm going to defend my wife. And if my grandchild is there, I'm going to defend her,” he said.
After the protest, we travelled to Thetford to visit one of the HMO's, which turned to be the scene of protest by the residents.
In the area, we spoke confidentially with one of the residents who described what he believes life could become for women living close to migrant accommodation.
“You're living like a prisoner in your own house,” he said, describing residents keeping their blinds closed out of fear of men looking through their windows.
Alexandra Lavoie
Quebec based Journalist
Alexa graduated with a degree in biology from Laval University. Throughout her many travels, she has seen political instability as well as corruption. While she witnessed social disorder on a daily basis, she has always been a defender of society’s most vulnerable. She’s been around the world several times, and now joins Rebel News to shed light on today’s biggest stories.