MOD rejects calls for Ballykinlar to house refugees

MOD rejects calls for Ballykinlar to house refugees

By David Telford

THE Ministry of Defence has rejected calls for the Ballykinler army base to be used to house refugee families.

Last month, Newry, Mourne and Down councillors made a formal request to military chiefs to allow the sprawling base — now used exclusively as a police and army training centre — to provide accommodation for Syrian refugees.

Councillors suggested several barracks at the military base could house around 100 refugee families fleeing war-torn Syria, but the MoD has rejected the proposal.

An MoD spokesman said it has a long term commitment for the wider Ballykinler training centre, describing it as a “strategic site” with some requirements for the estate not able to be re-provisioned anywhere else.

He said given the former army base is is an active training area it would not be possible – for security implications – to make the barracks available as a location for housing refugees.

The spokesman added: “Military personnel in Northern Ireland are currently providing a great deal of international support across the world including peacekeeping in Cyprus as well as commitments to UN committed troops from Malawi and the training of rangers in Gabon to step up anti-poaching.

“With required pre-deployment training deploying personnel and of course, recruits training for the various regular and reserve battalions, Ballykinler remains a heavily utilised training area.”

Last year, the army base was left without its own regiment for the first time when soldiers from 2 Rifles relocated to a new home at Lisburn’s Thiepval Barracks.