Bicester Action Group (BAG) was formed by villagers living close to the proposed site. They put posters up in Bicester warning the town of increased crime, a threat to our culture and a drop in house prices if the centre went ahead. The British National Party and National Front, riding on the xenophobia encouraged by BAG, began campaigning locally.
Bicester Refugee Support (BRS) was formed in order to put forward pro-refugee views about the Accommodation Centre. While we would welcome asylum seekers and refugees to Bicester, we believe that the size, location and regime of the proposed centre are inappropriate for their needs.

Our aims
* We oppose the Accommodation Centre on humanitarian grounds alone.
* We wish to change the tone of the debate in Bicester to one more sympathetic towards refugees.
* We are lobbying to ensure that if the Centre goes ahead facilities and support are adequate.
* We intend to involve ourselves in voluntary work with asylum seekers if the Centre goes ahead.
Further details are available from our full Statement of Aims.

Links with other organisations
We are a broad based organisation without affiliations to any political party or religious group. Our supporters have a wide range of interests and belong to a variety of organisations. Locally, we have support, amongst others, from Asylum Welcome, Refugee Resource, several Bicester churches, Oxford Anti-Nazi League, the Close Campsfield Campaign and Barbed Wire Britain, many of whom are affiliated to BRS. We are also building links with national organisations such as the Refugee Council, who provide us with campaigning materials. There are members of several trade unions in BRS, including affiliation by Oxford Trades Council, and we have members of at least three different political parties amongst our supporters.

Actions so far
- Initial written submission and petition to the Council Planning Committee in opposition to the accommodation centre;
- Full involvement in the Public Inquiry into the accommodation centre as a 'Rule 6' party; (Full documentation is available in the Planning section of our web site)
- Lobbying meeting with Beverley Hughes MP, Immigration Minister;
- BAG counter-demonstration;
- Local awareness raising work through information stalls in Oxfordshire, and through building links with local schools and other local community organisations;
- Awareness raising displays in in local libraries and churches during national Refugee Week;
- Establishment of annual sponsored Freedom Bike ride from Bicester to Campsfield House Removals Centre in Oxford to highlight Oxfordshire's role in detaining asylum seekers;
- Awareness raising work with local and national media;
- Meeting with local MP, Tony Baldry;
- Talks to various trade union, political and community organisations in Oxfordshire to promote affiliation/adoption of model resolution to oppose accommodation centre;
-Detailed written submission to Cherwell council, in respect of the detailed plans for the accommodation centre;

Current situation
Following the conclusion of the Public Inquiry, the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, announced  in August 2003 that he was overruling the recommendation of the independent Planning Inspector and approving the Government's own planning application for the accommodation centre.   Meanwhile BRS continues with awareness raising campaigns with the aim of building a welcoming environment for  asylum seekers. We will try to persuade our local representatives to take a leading role in paving the way for good race relations in Bicester and we will work with local community organisations to prepare for the asylum seekers arrival.

How you can support us
Please complete the affiliation/membership form. Members who have access to email can become part of the Bicester Refugee Support e-mailing group. More than anything, we need volunteers to help with all aspects of running a thriving organisation which is growing bigger all the time.