A small English village will hold a referendum on independence from the United Kingdom as residents protest a government proposal to accommodate up to 1,250 male asylum-seekers at a nearby former military site.
Organizers say the purpose is to formally document residents’ views and peacefully draw attention to their objections to the proposed asylum center.
Campaigners have also released an anthem titled “Battle for Britain” to promote the vote. Sept. 15 is observed as Battle of Britain Day and is also the United Nations’ International Day of Democracy.
Piddington had 358 residents in the 2021 census. The proposed asylum center would accommodate more than three times that number.
The Home Office, the U.K.’s government department responsible for immigration and asylum, said the site would accommodate single men aged 18 to 65 who have applied for asylum. Occupancy would begin with a smaller number of residents and increase in phases.
No final decision has been made on the proposed asylum center, Border Security and Asylum Minister Anna Turley said in an Aug. 24 letter to Bicester Town Council. The site remains subject to feasibility assessments, planning permission, and other approvals.
The government has submitted an Urgent Crown Development application because it considers the proposal nationally important amid pressure on the asylum accommodation system. If approved, the site would operate for at least 10 years.
Piddington residents voted 178-7 on July 4 in favor of holding the second, explicit referendum to separate from the U.K. That preliminary ballot did not declare independence, but it established support for putting the question before the town.
The campaign says its broader goal is to give communities a way to record opposition when major government decisions affect them.
Piddington Parish Council Chairman Tim McNally has also appealed to President Donald Trump for support. McNally said organizers plan to take a declaration to the U.S. embassy if residents support symbolic independence.
“If we vote to leave, we are going to go down to the US Embassy and bring our declaration to them,” McNally said. “We want them to support us in our plight,” he said according to The Sun.
Local government leaders and the area’s member of Parliament have raised concerns separate from the independence campaign.
“Residents deserve transparency, clear information and meaningful engagement throughout this process,” McLean said in a council statement.
Calum Miller, the Liberal Democrat member of Parliament for Bicester and Woodstock, said the isolated location lacks transportation and access to services.
Asylum Welcome, an Oxfordshire refugee charity, has raised similar concerns about placing asylum-seekers far from health care, education, legal advice, and other assistance.
“People seeking safety are future neighbours,” Joint CEO Hari Reed said. “The accommodation we provide should help people become part of our communities, not keep them apart from them.”