A public inquiry has opened into the severe deterioration of conditions at the Manston asylum processing centre in Kent, where Home Office officials have admitted they "completely lost our grip" on the situation in late 2022.
'Overcrowded, Squalid and Insanitary' Conditions Exposed
The hearing, which began this week, is examining the decisions and circumstances that led to what counsel described as "overcrowded, squalid and insanitary" conditions for detainees. The investigation focuses on the period from 1 June to 22 November 2022 at the former RAF base in Thanet.
At the peak of the crisis, the facility designed for a maximum of 1,600 people was holding approximately 4,000 individuals. While asylum seekers were meant to be held for no more than 24 hours, documents reveal that 18,000 of the 29,000 people processed during the five-month period were detained for significantly longer.
Human Toll: Disease, Death, and Alleged Assaults
The inquiry heard harrowing details of the consequences of the severe overcrowding. New arrivals were forced to sleep on filthy floors or flattened cardboard boxes, with toilets overflowing with faeces. Women and children were reportedly made to sleep close to unrelated men.
The unsanitary environment led to outbreaks of diphtheria and scabies. Tragically, a Kurdish asylum seeker processed at Manston, Hussein Haseeb Ahmed, died in hospital on 19 November 2022 after contracting diphtheria. The inquiry also heard that a pregnant Syrian woman suffered a miscarriage after being denied immediate medical attention.
Clair Dobbin KC, leading counsel to the inquiry, stated there is "evidence of misconduct on the part of some who worked at Manston," including claims of assaults by guards.
Inquiry Scope and Political Background
The non-statutory inquiry, chaired by Sophie Cartwright KC, will scrutinise the human experiences at Manston, with a focus on conditions that put "people at risk, including mental wellbeing and physical safety." Participants include four government departments—the Home Office, Ministry of Defence, Treasury, and Ministry of Justice—along with the Cabinet Office, 171 asylum seekers, and several other agencies and NGOs.
Key individuals involved are former clandestine Channel threat commander Dan O'Mahoney and former home secretary Suella Braverman.
The commitment to an inquiry was first made by former home secretary James Cleverly in March 2024. However, in September 2024, the then Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, downgraded it from a statutory to an independent inquiry. This change means it has fewer powers to compel witnesses. Cooper cited the projected cost of the original inquiry—around £26 million—as a reason, with the new model expected to cost approximately £2.6 million.
The investigation now proceeds with the central aim of understanding how a government facility descended into such a state of crisis and who was responsible.
