The home secretary has arrived at the under-fire Manston immigration centre amid claims the site is "like a prison" for asylum seekers.

Suella Braverman was seen pulling into the processing base in Thanet, where she is being given an update on problems with overcrowding, according to Downing Street.

Earlier today she visited the Western Jet Foil immigration centre in Dover - the scene of a petrol bomb attack on Sunday - to discuss Channel-crossing operations.

Witnesses say the home secretary spent about half an hour at the facility – where migrants are first taken after arriving on the south coast – during which time she was shown around by Border Force staff.

Her trip comes amid criticism of her claim the UK faces an “invasion” on its south coast and mounting political pressure over poor conditions at immigration facilities.

Despite shying away from press questions during her visit to the Dover facility, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt insisted she is prepared to “face the music” over the migrant crisis.

“The Home Secretary did a number of public appearances this week in Parliament,” said the Chancellor during a visit to a theatre in Carshalton, south London.

“She’s been prepared to face the music this week and I’m sure you’ll continue to have a chance to ask her questions.”

An estimated 3,500 people are being detained for weeks at the Manstone facility, which was designed to accommodate 1,600 for no more than a few days.

Some families are said to have been sleeping on the floor and there have been reports of outbreaks of disease including diphtheria and MRSA.

Poor conditions at the facility were highlighted 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.

Government minister Graham Stuart conceded on Thursday that the site was operating illegally and acknowledged that “unfortunate language” had been used by Ms Braverman.

Asked by Sky News if he was comfortable with the government detaining asylum seekers illegally the Tory MP said “Obviously not. None of us are comfortable with it.

"We want it tackled, we want to get a grip, that’s exactly what the Home Secretary is focused on.”

Asylum seekers were also reportedly left at London’s Victoria station without accommodation after being taken off the premises.

The group of 11 men were driven to the capital from Kent on Tuesday as part of a larger group, according to The Guardian.

Danial Abbas, from the Under One Sky homelessness charity, said the men were left “highly distressed, disorientated, lost” in London, with “nowhere to go”.