Residents of the small village of Piddington in Oxfordshire, England, have held a symbolic vote on leaving the United Kingdom in protest against plans to house up to 1,250 migrants at a nearby former military base.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports, citing foreign media.
The majority of residents who took part in Tuesday’s referendum supported, in principle, the right to self-determination.
According to Piddington’s deputy parish council chair, Susannah Parden, a total of 312 votes were counted, representing about 92% of the ballots distributed.
The results showed that 285 people voted in favor of the proposal to leave, while 26 voted against it. One ballot was declared invalid.
The vote was organized in response to government plans to accommodate up to 1,250 adult male migrants at Bicester Garrison, a former military facility near Piddington.
According to data from the Diocese of Oxford in 2021, Piddington has a population of 358. The village has a church and a community hall but no local grocery store or post office.
The vote has no legal force and does not initiate any procedure for the village’s actual separation from the United Kingdom. Nevertheless, the initiative has been viewed as another example of rising tensions over migration in the country.
Debate over migration in the United Kingdom has intensified in recent years, particularly over migrant boats crossing the English Channel from France and the question of where new arrivals should be accommodated.
