Fire at Former Retirement Home Under Investigation as Possible Arson
A former retirement home in the English village of Leverington, which had been designated for use as accommodation for asylum seekers, has been destroyed by fire. Authorities are exploring the possibility that the fire was intentionally set.
Responding to the blaze at Roman Court, the Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue service was on scene Wednesday night. Although the fire was eventually brought under control, it caused significant damage to the structure.
The fire service announced plans to investigate the incident further, while the local police, Cambridgeshire Constabulary, confirmed they are treating it as a case of arson. They have reached out to the public for any information regarding the fire’s origins.
According to the BBC, the vacant building was recently identified by the UK government for use as accommodation for asylum seekers. The Home Office had tried to reassure the community, stating the facility would be renovated to house “26 mothers and babies.” However, this plan has faced significant opposition from local residents and the local council has expressed disapproval to the government.
Demonstrations against the plan have already taken place, with reports indicating residents gathered at the site on October 4th and 11th. It’s noted that around 300 people participated in the most recent protest—quite a noticeable turnout for a village with a population of just 3,300.
A neighbor of Roman Court commented on the fire, suggesting it was somewhat expected, saying, “It was probably going to happen wasn’t it, let’s be honest.”
No arrests have been made in connection with the fire.
Past reports have highlighted a troubling trend in Europe, where buildings set aside for asylum seeker accommodation have been subjected to fires. This issue gained attention during the early stages of the European migrant crisis, with incidents occurring almost daily at various properties repurposed for asylum use.
There have been instances where things were not as they appeared. For example, in 2016, a fire at a migrant hostel that bore swastika graffiti was later found to be the act of a Syrian individual who aimed to protest poor living conditions while misleadingly implicating anti-migration activists. In 2021, fires were set by migrants in a Greek camp as a protest against lockdown measures related to the coronavirus, leading to clashes with firefighters.
