Villagers in Yorkshire hamlet of 700 are already selling up over plans to house 1,200 male asylum seekers on their doorstep

From the Newshound archive · first published 5 October 2026 · last updated 6 October 2026.

Residents of Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire are threatening to abandon their homes after the government began assessing a former RAF base nearby as a site for up to 1,200 single male asylum seekers — which would leave the village of 700 outnumbered by nearly two to one. Alice Sizer, 44, says the move could cost her family £100,000 in lost property value, yet she would still go. A survey by the Linton-on-Ouse Action Group found 60 per cent of renters said they were 'very likely' to leave if the plans were approved.

Around 35 newly renovated former MOD homes across two new-build estates are already standing vacant, with prospective tenants put off by the prospect of an asylum centre nearby.

Residents warn Linton-on-Ouse, which has no GP surgery or police station, could become a 'ghost town' — with some calling it the UK's 'Guantánamo Bay'.

No final decision has been made, but locals say the uncertainty alone has already sent house prices into freefall, with some accepting losses of up to 20 per cent.