Residents of a small English village have held a symbolic referendum on whether to leave the United Kingdom in protest against government plans to accommodate more than 1,200 asylum seekers at a nearby former military site.
Piddington, an Oxfordshire village of around 350 residents, held the non-binding vote on Tuesday amid opposition to plans to use part of MoD Bicester as accommodation for up to 1,256 adult male asylum seekers.
Residents were asked whether they supported Piddington “seceding from the United Kingdom and pursuing a path of self-determination”.
The referendum has no legal force and cannot result in the village leaving the UK. Organisers have presented the unusual move as an attempt to draw greater attention to their opposition to the proposed asylum facility.
Residents have argued that housing more than 1,200 asylum seekers close to such a small community would place pressure on local infrastructure and have raised concerns about security.
More than 130 women from Piddington have written to female MPs at Westminster expressing fears about the proposal and its potential impact on their community.
The Home Office says safety and security would be a priority for asylum seekers, staff and local residents if the Bicester site goes ahead.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds acknowledged the concerns during an interview with ITV but said former military sites offered an alternative to the continued use of hotels.
“There is no imaginary place these people can go,” Reynolds said, adding that dealing with asylum accommodation was neither pleasant nor easy.
The Labour government has pledged to end the use of asylum hotels, which have become a major source of political controversy and protests across Britain. Around 16,000 asylum seekers were being housed in hotels at the end of June 2026, according to government figures.
The proposed Bicester facility is part of efforts to move asylum seekers into alternative accommodation, including former military sites.
Piddington’s protest comes amid wider tensions over immigration and asylum accommodation in the UK, with demonstrations taking place outside hotels and other facilities in several parts of the country.
The result of the symbolic referendum is expected on Wednesday.
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