Cameron Barracks, Inverness: factsheet
Published 31 October 2025
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/asylum-accommodation-at-military-sites-factsheets/cameron-barracks-inverness-factsheet
October 2025
1. What is happening at the Cameron Barracks site?
The UK government has a statutory obligation to provide asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute with accommodation.
The government is determined to restore order to the asylum system so that it operates swiftly, firmly, and fairly; and ensures the rules are properly enforced. We have committed to exiting hotels at the earliest opportunity, and in order to do this we need to stand up alternative accommodation which is better suited to this purpose.
MoD have offered the sites to the Home Office for a period of 12 months, after which it will return to MoD as part of their training estate.
The asylum accommodation will be provided at Cameron Barracks, the MOD training site located in Inverness. Cameron Barracks provides basic, safe accommodation for asylum seekers and is designed to be as self-sufficient as possible. The site was recently used as transitional accommodation for the Afghan Resettlement Programme.
The Home Office is working closely with local authorities, police, and community partners to ensure the site operates safely and respectfully, with robust measures in place to support community cohesion and maintain public safety at all times.
2. Who resides at Cameron Barracks?
The site will accommodate single adult male asylum seekers between the ages of 18 and 65. Asylum seekers arrive at the site following initial screening checks.
Once at Cameron Barracks, service users receive a briefing and orientation about the site and the local community, including sessions on anti-social behaviour and road safety. Asylum seekers at the site are not detained, however the site is self-contained and essential services are provided on site to reduce the impact on local services.
Full details of the conditions under which asylum-seekers receive accommodation support can be found here: Conditions of support (publishing.service.gov.uk)
3. How will you ensure public safety?
Public safety remains our first priority, which is why mandatory security checks are conducted on all asylum seekers by linking biometric data to immigration, security and criminality databases.
All asylum claimants are subject to these mandatory security checks to confirm their identity and to link it to their biometric details for the purpose of immigration, security and criminality checks. This includes criminality checks against databases for, amongst other things, convictions, pending prosecutions, wanted or missing reports as well as fingerprints and photographs.
4. How is safety and security protected on site?
The safety and security of local communities around the site, the staff who work there and those accommodated on the site are of the utmost importance, with a specialist and experienced provider of security services permanently on site 24/7.
We will work closely and routinely with Police Scotland Highlands Division to ensure appropriate security arrangements are in place for the safety and security of the asylum seekers and the wider community.
The Home Office also continues to engage regularly with representatives from Scottish Government, local authority, the NHS, Police, and local partners including via Multi Agency Forums pre-delivery and post-Go Live of the site to address the concerns of those most impacted by the site and to identify ways to keep them informed.
5. How will you monitor these people?
If criminal activity occurs on site, the provider running the site will have robust processes in place to report incidents to the police. As part of their induction process, clear expectations are set out to asylum seekers staying at the site about their expected behaviour whilst on and off the site, and this induction process is continuously updated by the service provider to reflect any feedback we have received from the local community or other stakeholders on behavioural issues. The site is a strict “no alcohol zone”, and we will continue to ensure that the no alcohol rule is enforced.
6. Who runs the Cameron Barracks site?
Cameron Barracks will be run by an experienced, specialist asylum accommodation provider, who run the site on behalf of the Home Office. They are responsible for managing asylum seeker accommodation in a safe and secure manner, and providing wraparound support designed to meet asylum seekers essential health and wellbeing needs.
The Home Office works closely with various stakeholders to ensure accommodation is suitable, adequate, and functional.
7. What facilities are there on site?
Key services, including accommodation, catering, and laundry, are available on site, so while asylum seekers are free to come and go - as the site is non-detained - these essential needs are met without them having to leave.
All asylum seekers can contact Migrant Help 24 hours a day, 365 days a year if they need help, advice, or guidance, that includes raising issues relating to safeguarding.
8. Will vulnerable people be accommodated at the site?
No - asylum seekers are allocated accommodation on a no choice basis, in line with Home Office published policy. If an individual’s needs cannot be met on site, and they are assessed as unsuitable to be accommodated at Cameron Barracks, they will be moved/allocated to alternative accommodation. Evidence about the needs of particular individuals is assessed in line with the criteria published here: Allocation of accommodation (publishing.service.gov.uk).
9. How many people are accommodated at Cameron Barracks?
The site has capacity for up to 300 service users, with a phased and incremental approach to full occupancy.
10. How can local health services sustain the additional demand from this site?
We are working closely with local health partners to minimise the impact on the local community.
11. Is this a permanent arrangement?
No - making use of existing basic accommodation on MOD sites such as Cameron Barracks is just the first step in the government’s work to exit hotels and source more appropriate accommodation to meet our statutory obligations. We hope to have alternative, longer term accommodation options up and running within about 12 months, which will enable us to return Cameron Barracks to MOD use.