Plans to house asylum seekers in Inverness have raised concerns over community cohesion within the relatively small community.
The UK Government has announced plans to accommodate approximately 300 asylum seekers at Cameron Barracks in Inverness, starting in early December 2025.
This decision has prompted significant concerns from Highland Council leaders regarding potential impacts on local community cohesion.
The council was notified of the plans just a day before the public announcement, receiving confidential information without prior consultation.
The Home Office intends for the barracks to serve as transitional accommodation for up to 12 months, after which individuals will be relocated to dispersed housing across the UK.
In a joint statement, Convenor Bill Lobban, council leader Raymond Bremner, and opposition leader Alasdair Christie said: ‘Our main concern is the impact this proposal will have on community cohesion given the scale of the proposals as they currently stand. Inverness is a relatively small community but the potential impact locally and across the wider Highlands appears not to have been taken into consideration by the UK Government.’
