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Hundreds of wet and cold migrants were forced to spend hours in cramped containers at a “construction site covered in rubble” after arriving in the UK in small boats, a report revealed.
In a rare glimpse into how authorities treat newly arrived asylum seekers, prison inspectors visited Tug Haven in Dover, where migrants are being pulled from the beach or sea for the first time, and found a shortage of dry clothing. and other basic supplies.
The footage shows migrants queuing at Tug Haven surrounded by rubble and temporary fences. Windowless shipping containers were used to contain arrivals.
More than 7,400 people have arrived in the UK in small craft this year, according to PA Media’s analysis, almost four times more than in 2019, with a record 416 arrivals in a single day on 2 September. All migrants are brought to Tug Haven for “processing” before heading to other short-term facilities. On the day of the inspection, 200 people arrived.
Chief Prison Inspector Peter Clarke said the numbers were no excuse for conditions in Tug Haven and elsewhere, and criticized the Home Office for failing to plan for “what must have been a predictable increase” in arrivals since the other side of the Canal. .
“The fact that the numbers are unprecedented does not mean that they are unpredictable or that they cannot be planned,” he said. “While the number of arrivals had been much higher in 2020 than in previous years, the reception arrangements at Tug Haven were not adequate for even a small number. This was easily recognized by the local personnel of the Ministry of the Interior, who worked in difficult conditions. “
The newly arrived detainees were evaluated in Tug Haven for urgent medical conditions and Covid-19 symptoms, according to the report. A designated van was available where migrants would sit if they showed any symptoms of the virus.
Despite the poor conditions, the detainees, primarily from Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Syria and Eritrea, who were interviewed by inspectors, were almost all positive about the way individual Tug Haven staff were treating them.
In September, Her Majesty’s Prison Inspectorate visited short-term immigration detention centers in Tug Haven, the Kent Intake Unit in Dover, Frontier House in Folkestone, Lunar House in Croydon, and the Immigrant Removal Center in Yarl’s Wood in Bedford, which had been recovered. designated as a short-term retention facility.
Inspectors said the Kent Intake Unit and Frontier House were unsuitable for “very long detentions,” but some detainees were held for more than two days in rooms with no places to sleep, showers or access to the open air. Social distancing was not possible and there were some basic omissions, inspectors said, such as not providing facilities to wash hands or disinfect women’s bathrooms.
On average, children were held in the Kent Intake Unit for 17 hours, which was longer than the average for adults. In one case, a 15-year-old boy was detained for more than 66 hours. Other findings from the inspectors included:
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Inspectors identified deficiencies in child protection procedures and, in one case, a child was mistakenly taken to an adult detention center;
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Children were held for too long and often overnight, in part because the Kent County Council Department of Social Services no longer has the capacity to care for unaccompanied minors;
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a family group, kept at Frontier House for 45 hours, included a baby and other children, ages five, seven, nine, and ten;
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detainees arriving in Tug Haven routinely have their mobile phones confiscated, while detainees at Yarl’s Wood are prohibited from using social media;
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The Tinsley House immigrant removal center near Gatwick is receiving arrivals of small boats.
Bridget Chapman, a social worker and spokesperson for the Kent Refugee Action Network, said the report contained “a litany of serious problems.” “As a charity working with unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in Kent, it is our duty to speak on their behalf and we would like to be assured that this terrible and dangerous mistake will not be repeated.
“Asylum seekers are coming here seeking refuge. Instead of caring for them, the government is placing them in inhuman and degrading conditions. This embarrasses us all and must be rectified with immediate effect. “
Minnie Rahman, director of campaigns and public affairs for the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI), said: “The Home Office could and should take simple and practical steps to treat newly arrived asylum seekers humanely: host them , support them and process their claims correctly. Instead, politicians are neglecting the basic needs of the people while at the same time using them as fodder for their public relations cannon, launching laughable proposals to send people thousands of miles away or put wave machines in it. Channel just so they can ‘look tough’ on immigration. “
