An Oxfordshire village of just 350 residents in England has had enough.
The village of Piddington voted overwhelmingly this month to pursue a symbolic referendum on declaring independence from the United Kingdom after the British government announced plans to house 1,250 single adult male asylum seekers there.
The unusual protest, reported by Daily Mail columnist Robert Hardman, has drawn international attention after residents suggested they may seek support from President Donald Trump and even joked about becoming "the world's smallest 51st state" of the United States.
Piddington Parish Council Chairman Tim McNally said villagers decided that conventional petitions and protests were unlikely to change the government's decision.
"We want President Trump to know about this," McNally told the Daily Mail, arguing that residents felt they had exhausted traditional avenues of opposition.
The Home Office announced plans to convert a nearby former military storage depot into accommodation for 1,250 asylum seekers, later confirming that the residents would be single adult males who would be allowed to enter and leave the site under a sign-in/sign-out system.
According to villagers, no local consultation took place before the announcement.
Residents argue that the proposal would nearly quadruple the village's population overnight and overwhelm a rural community that has few services.
The nearest shop is about three miles away, and the village has few public amenities beyond a playing field and children's swings.
On July 4—America's Independence Day and during the United States' 250th anniversary celebrations—villagers held a ballot asking whether they should proceed with a formal independence referendum.
According to McNally, 178 residents voted in favor, seven voted against, and one ballot reportedly invited neighbors to a barn dance rather than expressing an opinion.
The vote does not legally separate Piddington from Britain but authorizes organizers to pursue a formal referendum and seek legal advice.
Organizers say they have already received offers of pro bono legal assistance from supporters in Britain and the United States.
Campaign organizers say their concerns extend beyond the size of the proposed facility. Some residents question whether the former military site is suitable for housing large numbers of people, citing reports of aging infrastructure and possible environmental contamination that they believe warrant further review.
Others worry about public safety and the impact on a small rural community.
The Home Office has said asylum seekers housed at the site would undergo checks against policing and immigration databases before arrival.
Officials have maintained that appropriate safeguards will be in place, though some residents question whether those checks are sufficient.
The proposal has also generated political debate.
Liberal Democrat MP Calum Miller has described Piddington as "the wrong site" for the development while expressing support for Britain's broader asylum system.
Cherwell District Council has voiced concerns about the proposal but has indicated that responsibility ultimately rests with the Home Office.
Britain has struggled in recent years to address record levels of both legal and illegal migration, with successive governments facing mounting pressure over rising asylum applications, hotel accommodation costs, and lengthy processing backlogs.
The issue has become one of the country's most contentious political debates.
Trump has frequently criticized European immigration policies, arguing that governments have failed to adequately secure their borders and warning that uncontrolled migration threatens public safety and national identity.
He has often cited Europe's migration challenges as justification for his administration's tougher U.S. border enforcement policies.
Trump has also embraced Reform Party leader Nigel Farage who has advocated hardline policies against immigration.