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Asylum seekers from Manston processing centre in Ramsgate, Thanet abandoned in London

Asylum seekers were abandoned at London’s Victoria Station on Tuesday night after being released from the overcrowded Manston processing centre.

Eleven men were bussed to the capital as part of a larger group and left confused and scantily clad, with one spending the night sleeping rough on city streets.

A group of people thought to be migrants gather their belongings before leaving the Manston immigration short-term holding facility. Photo: Gareth Fuller/PA
A group of people thought to be migrants gather their belongings before leaving the Manston immigration short-term holding facility. Photo: Gareth Fuller/PA

Volunteers from a homeless charity told the Guardian many were in flip-flops and did not have winter coats.

“They were stressed, disturbed and completely disoriented,” said volunteer Danial Abbas.

“They were also very hungry.”

British Transport Police Officers worked with charity partners, rail staff and government colleagues to help them find accommodation for the evening.

People thought to be migrants at the Manston immigration short-term holding facilityin Thanet Photo:PA
People thought to be migrants at the Manston immigration short-term holding facilityin Thanet Photo:PA

Speaking in the Commons yesterday, MP Alistair Carmichael called for Suella Braverman to answer for the incident.

“On Monday … the Home Secretary said ‘What I have refused to do is to prematurely release … thousands of people into local communities without having anywhere for them to stay’,” said the Liberal Democrat.

“It is reported today that last night exactly that happened.

“It would be very useful for the House to know whether or not she intends to come here and explain herself or whether yet again she has to be brought.”

A view of the Manston immigration short-term holding facility located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent. 700 people were moved to the Manston facility for safety reasons after incendiary devices were thrown at a Border Force migrant centre in Dover on Sunday. Picture date: Monday October 31, 2022. Photo: PA
A view of the Manston immigration short-term holding facility located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent. 700 people were moved to the Manston facility for safety reasons after incendiary devices were thrown at a Border Force migrant centre in Dover on Sunday. Picture date: Monday October 31, 2022. Photo: PA

Hundreds of people are thought to have been moved out of the Manston processing centre – a disused airfield site near Ramsgate – amid concerns it had become dangerously overcrowded, but there are still 3,500 there despite the capacity being 1,600.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman is under increasing pressure over the asylum system, which she admitted was broken.

Her department faces legal action over their handling of the situation and Ms Braverman is reportedly brokering deals to send asylum seekers to Peru, Paraguay and Belize in addition to Rwanda. So far none have been flown to Rwanda despite Britain paying the African nation at least £140 million.

Poor conditions at the facility were highlighted once again yesterday afternoon when a young girl there threw a message in a bottle over the perimeter fence to a PA news agency photographer.

In the note, the child begs for help and describes the conditions at the Thanet site as a prison and appears to suggest 50 families had been held at Manston for more than 30 days.

“We really need your help. Please help us.”

A young girl ran to the fence around Manston migrant processing centre to throw a message in a bottle to a PA news agency photographer. Photo: Gareth Fuller/PA
A young girl ran to the fence around Manston migrant processing centre to throw a message in a bottle to a PA news agency photographer. Photo: Gareth Fuller/PA

“Some of us very sick … there’s some women’s that are pregnant they don’t do anything for them [sic] …

“Our food is very bad like its make us fill sick …

The letter claims there is a disabled child at the site, adding: “He’s really bad, they don’t even care about him.

“It’s not easy for someone who has children … There’s a lot of children they shouldn’t be here. They should be in a school not prison.

The letter begs for help and describes the conditions at the Manston site like a ‘prison’. Photo: Gareth Fuller/PA
The letter begs for help and describes the conditions at the Manston site like a ‘prison’. Photo: Gareth Fuller/PA

The letter went on to say, we got no phone no money [sic].”

The situation had been branded a “breach of humane conditions”, with some 4,000 people thought to have been held at the site at one point, outbreaks of scabies and diphtheria and an alleged sexual assault against a member of staff.

Meanwhile, 200 locals demonstrated in support of refugees outside the Manston site on Wednesday night.

Thanet District Councillor Candy Gregory, who was in attendance said: “This demonstrates people care about the terrible things that have been happening in Manston and we will not accept what the Home Office is doing in our name.

“We managed to get toys into the camp for the children of the refugees and we stayed for a long time outside the gates chanting ‘Refugees are welcome here.’ I hope the people inside heard us — it’s so important they know that they have support from the outside world. We will not give up until this terrible place is shut down.”

Hundreds of locals protested outside the Manston site on Wednesday night. Photo: Thanet Left
Hundreds of locals protested outside the Manston site on Wednesday night. Photo: Thanet Left

The vigil was organised by by activist group, Thanet Left Bulletin.

One of the group's members Norman Thomas, characterised the processing centre as a concentration camp.

“People have to sleep in tents, on floors, in unsanitary, unhealthy, dangerous conditions. This is totally illegal and amounts to keeping people in a concentration camp.”

“For legal reasons Home Secretary Suella Braverman has been unable to achieve her dream of sending refugees to Rwanda, so it seems she has decided to create a hell-hole for them here in Kent. Braverman must be called to account for what she has done here. We challenge her to come here on Sunday to explain herself.”

Another demonstration will be held in support of the refugees outside Manston at 2pm this Sunday, 6 November.

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