The UK Home Office is facing scrutiny over the alleged dangerous overcrowding and health hazards at the Manston holding center for asylum seekers in 2022. An internal document released by the Home Office following a high court order has sparked a formal investigation into the facility’s conditions, with at least 250 asylum seekers planning legal action against the government.
The document reveals severe overcrowding at Manston, with 39 reports of overcrowding in 2022 alone, which went largely ignored. Designed to temporarily house asylum seekers for up to 14 hours, many were detained for up to a month in unsanitary, unsafe conditions. Among those affected, a Syrian woman lost her pregnancy after being forced to sleep in freezing, filthy conditions in a tent with her five children. Another claimant, a 19-year-old trafficking victim, was denied food and sanitation, enduring abuse and racism during his stay.
Tragically, Hussein Haseeb Ahmed, 31, died from diphtheria contracted at the center. The outbreak of diphtheria, along with the unlawful seizure of asylum seekers’ possessions and breaches of health and safety regulations, has led to accusations of serious misconduct, including violations of the European Convention on Human Rights.
The Home Office document, which was prepared for Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, highlights alleged mismanagement and breaches of regulations at the facility between June and November 2022. It outlines claims ranging from violations of children’s safeguarding duties to public health risks and fire safety lapses.
This comes amid growing criticism of the UK’s asylum policies, which also face backlash over the controversial Bibby Stockholm barge contract and the Rwanda deportation plan. Amnesty International has condemned these actions, calling the handling of asylum seekers “shameful.”
As the investigation continues, the UK government’s approach to asylum processing faces mounting scrutiny, with calls for reforms to ensure the humane treatment of migrants fleeing violence and persecution.
Source: Lilian Trickey, U. Oxford Faculty of Law, GB Jurist.com
