A Green councillor has said she and her grandchildren have written Valentine’s Day cards to “asylum seekers” at the Crowborough migrant camp.
Anne Cross, who sits on East Sussex County Council, said the cards will be presented to the men over the romantic weekend.
In footage of a recent meeting revealed by Guido Fawkes, the councillor says: “My grandchildren and I painted some cards – Valentine’s Cards – at the weekend which we are going to be presenting to the men in the camp in Crowborough as a welcome.”
Nusrat Ghani, the Deputy Speaker of the Commons and Mrs Cross’s MP, labelled her remarks “disturbing”.
Mrs Ghani said: “How is it that Wealden councillors don’t have time or courage to meet with MPs or community over the asylum seekers in Crowborough, but have time to get kids to make Valentine’s cards and deliver to single adult men – strangers.
“It’s just disturbing, highly irresponsible and with no regard for safeguarding.
“This is NOT a good idea.”
Some 27 migrants are now being housed at the Crowborough camp.
Anne Cross said she and her grandchildren have written Valentine’s Day cards to ‘asylum seekers’ at the Crowborough migrant camp
|
EAST SUSSEX COUNTY COUNCIL
The arrangement began in January and is set to house more than 500 single male asylum seekers between the ages of 18 and 65.
Earlier this month, thousands in Crowborough’s town centre protested Labour’s decision.
Wealden District Councillor Michael Lull told GB News: “This is the 13th week. Literally thousands of people have come out today in the rain supporting Crowborough.
“It’s an amazing turnout and it’s going to be ongoing. The protest will not stop.”
MIGRANT CRISIS – READ MORE:
‘It’s just disturbing, highly irresponsible and with no regard for safeguarding,’ Nus Ghani said
|
HOUSE OF COMMONS
The Home Office said the decision to place asylum seekers in military accommodation is “just the first step in the Government’s work to exit hotels” – with plans to place them in taxpayer-funded council houses instead.
Last year, schoolchildren as young as five were asked to write “Valentine’s Day cards” to asylum seekers.
The activity, coordinated by the Schools of Sanctuary Network, included writing messages with slogans reading “You are welcome here!”.
Laura Trott, the Shadow Education Secretary, warned at the time that “children as young as five shouldn’t be used to push political agendas”.
In a carefully-worded statement last year, the Schools of Sanctuary Network denied children wrote personal Valentine’s cards to adults in the asylum system.
Residents have held regular protests against the move in Crowborough | PA
The group instead said “it was a simple act of welcome – pupils wrote short, anonymised messages to show support and solidarity”.
They added that messages included “Welcome to our town” and “We hope you feel safe here”.
Another school held a “Special Refugee Day” on Valentine’s Day, which included talks from asylum seekers to young children, who were then told to create messages and hearts for the refugees.
The programme said the “vast majority” of the messages were displayed within classrooms, but admitted that “in a small number of cases, schools gave them to local refugee support groups”.
GB News has approached the Green Party for comment regarding Ms Cross’s remarks.