'Ground Zero' Migrant Village Votes to Leave UK in Furious Row Over Mega-Camp
A “ground zero” village has voted to declare independence from the UK in a furious row over plans to move 1,250 migrants next door.
TL;DR
- Piddington, Oxfordshire, villagers held a referendum on independence from the UK.
- The vote was a protest against plans to house 1,250 male asylum seekers at a nearby ex-MoD site.
- 285 out of 312 participants voted in favour of independence.
- The Home Office plans are part of a wider scheme to convert MoD facilities into migrant housing.
- Concerns were raised about the lack of prior warning and representation for the village.
- The proposed site could potentially house up to 3,510 asylum seekers, more than double the initial proposal.
- Migrants are expected to start arriving in November.
- There is no current legal mechanism for a village to declare independence from the UK.