Inquiry probes ministerial responsibility for conditions at Manston migrant centre

During a preparatory hearing, investigators examined the Manston centre, a former military site near Dover converted in early 2022 to hold cross-channel migrants. Designed for about 1,000 people for a maximum of 24 hours, the facility housed roughly 4,000 individuals by November 2022, leading to severe overcrowding. Home Office staff reported that conditions were unlawful and that children faced heightened danger, but no relocation plan was offered.

Former home secretaries Priti Patel and Suella Braverman confirmed that the Prime Minister's office was aware of the situation, while immigration minister Robert Jenrick was noted for periods of disengagement. The death of Iraqi detainee Hussein Haseeb Ahmed, who suffered from diphtheria and was handcuffed until early morning, underscored the crisis. Witnesses described inadequate sanitation, visible injuries, and improvised medical dressings, prompting the inquiry's lead lawyer to call for further examination of how such conditions were permitted.