Around 30 asylum seekers from Penally camp staged a protest march on Wednesday night (January 13), walking from the village into Tenby town in a show of “frustration” at the poor living conditions inside the facility and the fact that they feel that their grievances are being “ignored” by the Home Office.

With Wales currently in tier 4 lockdown, the demonstration saw the men shouting “we need freedom...not prison” at times during the walk, and when they gathered back together outside the former Military of Defence camp, repurposed back in September of last year by the Home Office.

There was a police presence following the men throughout, and extra officers stationed at the Salterns car park as the males entered and left Tenby at around 10.30 pm.

One of the asylum seekers said that he was initially told that he’d be placed at the facility in Penally for one month, but has now been there for four months, and stated that that they held the demonstration to show that “we are really frustrated by the situation inside the camp” as it is a “horrible situation for us”.

“We are really suffering and it is very stressful for us. We are really in a bad condition, and the situation in the camp has been worsening,” he said.

“The treatment, the shower, the toilets are blocked all the time, the food is worsening. Everything is worsening, nothing is good in this camp

“The reason that it is so traumatising is that we feel like we are being kept in a cage. “We have been thrown into barracks. We are ordinary civilians. We are citizens, not soldiers. “We expect to be living a normal life, with other people in towns and cities.”

One of the asylum seekers demonstrating said that some people living at the camp had undertaken a hunger strike in protest recently, also claiming that one had tried to take their own life.

A resident of Tenby who wished to remain anonymous contacted the Observer and said: “I looked out of my window about 9.45 pm and though it odd that there was a police van and car outside Jewson’s in Tenby and then saw a large group of asylum seekers crossing the road at the traffic lights, walking through the green, chanting and I assume heading up the town. I contacted the police and was told that they were aware of what was going on.

“How was this large group of people allowed to leave the camp and walk all the way to Tenby. We’re in a lockdown so I thought the rules were that no mass gatherings were allowed and you are only allowed to meet with one person outdoors.

“There was no social distancing and it was very intimidating to see so many of them walking and chanting!” they added.

A spokesperson for Dyfed-Powys Police stated: “Police were called to the Penally Asylum Accommodation Centre after a report of service users holding a protest outside the gates at around 7.40 pm on Wednesday.

“At around 9.25 pm, around 30 males from the camp walked down the A4139 into Tenby.

“No disorder was reported and the protest remained peaceful. Officers remained in attendance, and the service users returned to their accommodation shortly after midnight.

“Officers are working with the management team on the site in line with the four E principles of engage, explain, encourage and enforce.

“We take all breaches of Covid regulations seriously and will act accordingly.”

County councillor for Penally, Jon Preston remarked: “Last night’s walk out will have no doubt raised local anxieties, but despite a wealth of evidence to support the case for the camp to be closed and for the service users to be accommodated within any of the designated UK support areas, the Home Office have chosen not to act.

“It is becoming increasingly evident that the Home Office do not have a robust legal case for the repurposing of Penally camp.

“The Welsh Government Counsel General has himself stated that the legal basis on which the Home Office has acted remains unclear.

“A planning application involving a public consultation remains to be submitted, giving rise to additional concerns over how the Home Office may proceed.

“Immigration is not devolved to Welsh Government, so it remains a matter for Westminster Government to address.

“Given that our local MP Simon Hart as Secretary of State for Wales has been largely disregarded by the Home Office, it begs the question, who is representing our community at Westminster?

“Due to the whole process being circumvent of any meaningful consultation or representation, it is my intention to seek support for a public enquiry,” added Clr. Preston.