8 h. ago ‘So unchanged it is almost otherworldly’: the oasis town of Skoura, Morocco

For the explorer and author, the desert outpost, irrigated by water from the Atlas mountains, is the perfect place to decompressThe first thing I notice when I walk into the oasis is the temperature drop. Then, I hear the birdsong and the rustling of the palm trees. The harsh sun dims and there’s water and the smell of damp earth. It’s easy to understand why desert travellers yearned to reach these havens and why they have become synonymous with peace. I’m an explorer who’s walked through many oases with loaded camels, crossing Morocco and the Sahara on foot, but Skoura, a four-hour drive from Marrakech, is a place I visit to decompress.You may be imagining some kind of cartoon mirage oasis – a sole date palm shimmering above the endless sands. In fact, Skoura has a population of around 3,000 people living in a small town on the edge of the palms with 10 sq miles (25 sq km) of agricultural land. Many visitors to Morocco start in Fez or Marrakech and stop off in A...

Politics

24 h. ago Security ramps up in town awaiting arrival of 600 lone male asylum seekers as residents are told they'll only get '48 hours' notice' before migrants move onto army base

Residents are in revolt over the plans for Crowborough Army Training Camp in East Sussex, with thousands of people turning out every week for noisy protests.

Events

4 d. ago Workers begin converting army barracks into camp that will house 600 male migrants on edge of town

Residents are furious at the plans for Crowborough Army Training Camp in East Sussex, with 2,000 people flooding the streets for a noisy protest yesterday.

Events

5 d. ago Cries of 'Starmer out' as thousands protest against plans to house 600 lone male asylum seekers in an army camp on the edge of their town

The march in Crowborough, East Sussex, this morning followed an angry public meeting where local politicians were shouted at and chased out of the community centre hall.

Events

3 w. ago Pretty town on the edge of Greater Manchester where locals are 'sick' of tourists

It's a charming place, but its popularity brings problems

Politics

3 w. ago Housing asylum seekers in army barracks may cost more than migrant hotels, admits defence minister

Men to be housed at Cameron Barracks in Inverness and Crowborough Training Camp in East Sussex will be the first of up to 10,000 migrants who the Home Office want to place at military sites

Politics

3 w. ago Asylum seekers to be housed in barracks in bid to end use of migrant hotels

Men to be housed at Cameron Barracks in Inverness and Crowborough Training Camp in East Sussex will be the first of up to 10,000 migrants who the Home Office want to house on military sites

Events

3 w. ago Asylum seekers to be housed in barracks in bid to end hotel use

The plans will see men housed at Cameron Barracks in Inverness and Crowborough Training Camp in East Sussex.

Society