The Home Office has been granted planning approval to house up to 1,256 men at a military site near Bicester. The application was fast-tracked, which in government terms means nobody had to read it twice.
Ministers describe the plan as compassionate and efficient. Those are the two words that appear on every press release when the state wants to put people somewhere it would rather not look at.
The site was chosen because it is already fenced, already remote, and already has a gate. The department has not yet explained what compassion adds to the plan beyond the adjective.
Ministers have promised dignified accommodation. Dignity, according to the brief, will be delivered as bunk beds, perimeter wire, and a bus timetable that is described as under review.
Is this a resort? Technically no. Technically, nobody has checked the spa.
The immigration office has closed, which saves on the lease and removes the inconvenience of people turning up in person to ask questions. The new arrangement is praised for its efficiency. Efficiency, here, means the people who need answers will get them through a fence.
The infinity pool is not in the planning documents. The wire is.