Man dies at UK migrant processing centre sparking calls for investigation

The dead man is believed to have fallen ill on Friday and died in hospital on Saturday

Conditions inside Manston have been criticised regularly as it became the focal point for processing a record number of people. PA

A man has died at the controversial migrant processing centre in England, the British government said.

The Home Office, which is responsible for handling migration issues, said a person, understood to be male, died in hospital on Saturday morning after “becoming unwell”. The opposition Labour party and charities have demanded an investigation.

Conditions inside Manston have been criticised regularly as it became the focal point for processing a record number of people landing on England’s south coast.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman made a special visit to the overcrowded Manston site after migrants complained that some of them have been forced to spend a month there.

The dead man is believed to have fallen ill on Friday after arriving in the UK as part of a small boat crossing on November 12.

Efforts are under way to inform the man's next of kin. There has been no indication of the man’s nationality or age.

The small boats crisis has dominated headlines over the past few weeks, with ministers under fire for overcrowding chaos at the holding centre in Kent.

• 

  A person gestures through a fence at the immigration processing centre in Manston, Kent in southern England. Reuters

• 

  Security staff work to cover the view of people thought to be migrants in the Manston centre. PA

• 

  An aerial view of the facility in Manston. PA

• 

  Seven hundred people were moved to the centre for safety reasons after incendiary devices were thrown at a Border Force migrant centre in Dover on Sunday. Reuters

• 

  A man holds up a baby in the immigration processing centre. Reuters

• 

  A woman at the Manston centre. Reuters

• 

  A tent inside the processing centre. Reuters

• 

  The entrance to the Manston immigration holding facility. AP

“We express our heartfelt condolences to all those affected,” a statement posted on Twitter by the Home Office said.

A postmortem examination is due to be carried out and the Independent Office for Police Conduct has been notified.

“We take the safety of those in our care extremely seriously and are profoundly saddened by this event.

“A postmortem examination will take place so it would not be appropriate to comment further at this time,” the statement said.

A Home Office spokesperson said there was “no evidence at this stage to suggest that this tragic death was caused by an infectious disease”.

They added: “We take the safety and welfare of those in our care extremely seriously and provide 24/7 health facilities with trained medical staff at Manston.”

At one point as many as 4,000 people were being detained at the site, which is designed to hold just 1,600. This number later dropped to within capacity.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said there will need to be a “full investigation” into the incident.

“We send deepest condolences to the family of the man who has died after staying at Manston. There will need to be a full investigation into what has happened in this tragic case.”

Two charities also joined calls for investigations, the Refugee CCounccil and Inquest, which helps families of people who have died in state-related deaths.

“Every person in Manston must be looked after with the care and attention they need, so when a tragic death likes this takes place it is always a matter of serious concern,” said Refugee Council chief executive Enver Solomon.

“It is vital that a thorough and speedy investigation takes place to understand what happened and whether all the necessary procedures were followed.”

Inquest's director Deborah Coles said: “There have been repeated warnings about the impoverished conditions in Manston and the impact on the mental and physical health of vulnerable people in state detention.”

She added: “We need a fundamental overhaul of a failing and inhumane asylum system. Our thoughts are with all those affected.”

About 40,000 people have arrived in the UK so far this year after making the treacherous trip from France, crossing one of the world's busiest shipping lanes in dinghies and other small boats.

In 2018, there were only 299 people who made the journey. The next year, 1,843 crossings were recorded, followed by 8,466 in 2020 and 28,526 last year

Asylum seekers are meant to be at Manston for only short periods of time while undergoing security and identity checks, before being moved to the Home Office's asylum accommodation.

Some people have been held for longer periods due to a lack of alternative accommodation, with concerns raised over poor conditions.