By Giuseppe De Santis
Concerns have been raised in the Essex town of Braintree following reports of inappropriate behaviour linked to asylum seekers housed at a nearby former RAF base.
Residents claim that some individuals have been taking photos of schoolgirls, making unwanted gestures towards women, and engaging in behaviour such as wolf-whistling, which has left some teenagers distressed.
More serious allegations include women being followed while walking home from work, prompting fears for personal safety. Several residents say they now feel uncomfortable going out alone, with some carrying personal safety alarms and similar items for reassurance.
Local businesses have also reported concerns. One charity shop owner said groups have gathered outside premises, making staff feel uneasy, particularly during darker evenings.
Issues have also been reported in the surrounding rural area. The site, located near farmland, has been the subject of complaints about inappropriate use of nearby fields, as well as general concerns about behaviour in and around the camp.
Long-term residents Len and Margaret Freshwater, aged 84 and 82, moved to their 17th-century farmhouse two years before the base began housing asylum seekers. Mr Freshwater said that incidents have affected the surrounding area.
Simone Sutcliffe, who has lived near the base for more than four decades and previously worked there when it was an RAF facility, raised similar concerns regarding activity in nearby fields.
Other residents have claimed there have been tensions within the site itself, including reports of disputes between different groups.
The situation has led to wider questions about local safety, oversight, and the management of accommodation centres. The British Democrats argue that current asylum policies require fundamental change, including withdrawal from international legal frameworks such as the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights.
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