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Migrants in Piddington – the village today holding an independence referendum in protest at a proposed asylum-seekers’ camp – will be given high-visibility vests to stop them getting knocked down by cars on ‘death trap’ roads nearby.
The move comes as the Government prepares to house 1,250 male migrants at a former Ministry of Defence garrison on the outskirts of the Oxfordshire village.
Locals are fighting back against the plans, which they say will dwarf their village of just 350 residents – and today’s vote will decide whether Piddington should remain part of the UK.
asserted
Piddington → see → UK
Among villagers’ objections are that roads to and from the proposed migrant camp do not have any pavements, so the swarms of new arrivals could pose a huge safety risk.
uncertain
pose → propose → risk
Government officials have tried to head off these concerns by claiming that ‘high visibility vests will be provided to those leaving on foot’, according to planning documents.
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vests → try → documents
Cabinet minister Jonathan Reynolds defended the migrant camp move this morning, saying every part of the country must be prepared to take in asylum seekers.
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part → defend → seekers
The plans will mean women in the village are outnumbered by around ten to one by male asylum seekers, raising safety concerns amid a wave of sex crimes perpetrated by boat migrants elsewhere in recent years.
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women → mean → years
But villagers have also warned that the plans make little practical sense because of the situation with the roads around the former MoD Bicester site.
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plans → warn → site
Piddington resident Ian Darby, 63, told the Daily Mail it was just one of many reasons the former military base was ill-suited to housing so many migrants.
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base → tell → migrants
Local resident Mike Nixon casts a vote in the Independence Referendum held in the village today
Piddington's women are campaigning against plans to house 1,250 asylum seekers near their village
Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe outside the village hall in Piddington, Oxfordshire, where residents are holding a referendum on whether it should remain part of the UK
Residents gather in the village hall for a crunch meeting on whether or not to leave the UK
‘If they go wandering, they don’t have pavements on that road,’ he said.
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he → cast → road
‘It’s very dangerous.
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It → ’ → ?
The Government says they are going to issue high-vis jackets, but the widest pathway is just one metre.
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pathway → say → jackets
It’s a death trap.’
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It → ’ → ?
The surrounding roads have a 50mph speed limit, with the planning documents accepting the military site ‘lacks safe/pavemented routes’ and ‘to enter or exit to site on foot would require considerable care’.
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enter → surround → care
The documents also state that migrants will be ‘strongly encouraged’ to only use the provided shuttle buses at the camp but, since authorities have no power to actually stop people leaving on foot, the vests will be handed out ‘to further emphasise the potential danger’.
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vests → state → danger
The village's 350 residents organised today's vote after ministers ignored their objections.
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ministers → organise → objections
If the camp reaches capacity, asylum seekers will outnumber local residents by almost four to one.
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seekers → reach → one
The result is expected to favour 'independence', with campaigners hoping the ballot will focus attention in Westminster on their concerns.
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ballot → expect → concerns
The vote would be symbolic as there is currently no legal mechanism which would allow a village to declare independence from the UK.
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village → be → UK
Labour is moving asylum seekers into military barracks across the country as part of its drive to end the use of hotels and reduce the cost of housing migrants.
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Labour → move → migrants
The result of the village's referendum is expected at around 7am on Wednesday.
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result → expect → Wednesday
A villager casts her vote in the referendum on whether or not to leave the UK
Reform's Suella Braverman has backed the residents' fight
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Braverman → cast → fight
Villagers gathered in the village hall today as they cast their votes in an Independence Referendum
Members of Piddington's parish council told how they have been approached by hundreds of other British villages for advice on how to replicate the campaign, sparking speculation that such referendums could spread across the country.
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referendums → gather → country
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage subsequently vowed to support any areas that want to hold similar votes.
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that → vow → votes
Labour politicians are yet to clarify how long the military camp will house the asylum seekers.
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camp → clarify → seekers
Ahead of the vote, locals have told how they are terrified by the plans.
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they → tell → plans
More than 20 women said they have signed up for self-defence classes after they were reportedly urged to 'take precautions' by police ahead of the migrants' arrival.
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they → say → arrival
And on Sunday the village's women wrote an open letter to every female MP declaring: 'Our safety, our security and our freedoms will be under threat.
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safety → write → threat
But, of the 226 Parliamentarians who were approached by the women of Piddington, only four responded: Tory MPs Joy Morrissey and Sarah Bool and Reform's Sarah Pochin and Braverman.
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Morrissey → approach → Piddington
One resident, 51-year-old Louise Brooker, said Piddington – which does not even have a pub or a shop – will 'be on lockdown' when the migrants eventually arrive.
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migrants → say → lockdown
'I won't feel safe walking along the road,' she told The Sun.
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she → feel → Sun
In the winter here, when it's dark at 4pm, the very few streetlights that we have don't stay on all night.
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we → have → that
A protest sign (bottom right) outside Bicester military camp this week
Chris Philp (centre) and shadow minister for women and equalities Joy Morrissey (left) speak with villagers today
'
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Philp → speak → villagers
So the village is completely pitch black so in effect we are going to be in lockdown because everyone is going to be scared to leave their homes.'
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everyone → go → homes
Melise Witkin, 59, said: 'This is not about being rich or poor, this is about safety.
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this → say → safety
People have worked really hard throughout their lives to live in this village.
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People → work → village
I just don't think that is a conversation to be had.
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that → think → ?
We are 356 people in the village with 46 children and 1,250 men turning up is a recipe for disaster.
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turning → turn → disaster
People walk their dogs, children play, I just think it is madness.
'
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it → walk → dogs
We just have to be realistic.'
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We → have → ?
Another woman, a mother-of-three, said her family's lives have been 'changed forever' by Labour's decision.
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lives → say → decision
Other residents meanwhile questioned why the Government has failed to provide any data on the criminality of migrants in the UK, leaving locals in the dark.
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Government → question → dark
…and 12 more, not listed.
The Aporia
