At a migrant processing center in Kent, where more than 4,000 people are housed on a site designed for 1,600, there are growing concerns about unsafe and overcrowded living conditions.
Unions have warned that the Manston facility is “like a pressure cooker,” with diphtheria cases and outbreaks of violence.
The overcrowding at the former RAF airfield has worsened following the transfer of 700 additional migrants from a site in Dover that was attacked with petrol bombs on Sunday.
Sir Roger Gale, a local Conservative representative, described the conditions at Manston as “inhumane.”
He stated on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, “There are simply far too many people and this situation should never have been allowed to develop, and I’m not sure that it hasn’t almost been developed deliberately.”
Migrants who have traversed the English Channel in small boats arrive at the Dover center prior to being transported to the Manston for processing.
They are expected to remain there for a maximum of 24 hours while undergoing checks before being transferred to immigration detention centers or hotels serving as asylum accommodations.
Sir Roger, the North Thanet representative, told Sky News that there are now over 4,000 people at Manston. He stated that the conditions were “entirely unacceptable” and suggested that it may have occurred “deliberately.”
“It’s like if you were driving a car down an interstate and saw the road ahead to be clear, but then a car accident occurred, causing a five-mile backup. The car accident was the reason for not reserving additional hotel rooms,’ he said.
The Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, is rumored to have stopped the movement of migrants out of the center due to the growing expense of lodging them in hotels, which is approximately £6 million per day.
When asked if Ms. Braverman is the right person to handle this situation, Sir Roger stated, “I’m not trying to point fingers at the moment, but I do believe whoever is responsible, be it the previous home secretary or this one, must be held accountable, because a bad decision was made that led to what I would consider to be a violation of humane conditions.”
At Manston, there are cases of diphtheria and scabies, and the Guardian reported a case of MRSA. Amidst the emotions over the conditions, the staff also reports violent eruptions.
Andy Baxter, assistant general secretary of the POA, stated that the situation at Manston had developed into a “humanitarian disaster on British soil” with “pressure cooker” conditions.
There have also been violent outbursts in the facility, according to whistleblowers from the camp who spoke with the Daily Mail over the weekend.
The informant reported that Albanians and Eritreans armed themselves with honed combs from their Home Office washbags and engaged in combat.
‘A small Army detachment is inside to help keep order. According to reports, riot police are standing prepared to intervene if the migrants revolt over the next few days. It is a fire starter.
Migrants have attacked Border Patrol agents and security personnel, who are frightened and outnumbered.
Cabinet minister Michael Gove told Sophy Ridge of Sky News yesterday. The situation at Manston was described as “very troubling” on the Sunday program, although he denied that the Home Secretary ignored or disregarded legal advice.
Charlie Taylor, the chief inspector of prisons, stated that the facility required immediate changes after inspecting it.
“We were absolutely clear in our report, which will be released tomorrow, that the Home Office and contractors need to get a grip, that they need to expedite the processing of migrants, and that they need to make suitable provisions so that people can be moved off-site as quickly as possible and housed in humane and decent conditions,” he told Today.
Mr. Taylor remarked, “The facilities are not intended for habitation.” It is not a residential establishment. It is a short-term holding facility designed to process individuals.
Therefore, it is unacceptable for people to spend extended periods of time in extremely confined situations without adequate accommodations.
Saturday, 24 boats carrying 990 migrants crossed the Channel, adding to the pressure.
This year, 39,430 people have arrived on small boats, which is much more than the 28,526 who landed in 2021.
Last night, the Home Office issued the following statement: ‘The Home Secretary has taken immediate action to alleviate problems at Manston and provide alternative housing. The assertions that counsel was willfully disregarded are without merit.
“It is proper that we consider all options so that judgments can be made based on the most recent operational and legal guidance.”
The number of migrants coming in the United Kingdom through tiny boats has reached a record high, putting great pressure on our asylum system and costing the British government millions of pounds per day.