Manston migrant centre like a zoo, says asylum seeker

Conditions astatine an overcrowded migrant centre successful Kent were akin to surviving successful a situation oregon a zoo, a caller nonmigratory has told the BBC.

Ahmed - not his existent sanction - said radical astatine the Manston processing centre were treated similar "animals" with 130 radical forced to stock a azygous ample tent.

Over 4,000 migrants person reportedly been held astatine the campy - meant to big conscionable 1,600 - successful caller days.

But Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick has insisted numbers are coming down.

Ahmed - who near the centre connected Monday aft 24 days determination - described being forced to slumber connected the floor, and being prevented from going to the toilet, taking a ablution oregon going extracurricular for exercise.

He besides said radical were prevented from calling their families to fto them cognize they had made the crossing to the UK safely.

"For the 24 days I'm successful there, I can't telephone to my household to accidental to them I'm dead, I'm surviving - they don't cognize thing astir me," helium said.

"All radical successful there, they person a family. They should cognize what is happening to us."

Manston, a erstwhile subject basal successful Kent, opened arsenic a processing centre successful February for the increasing fig of migrants reaching the UK successful tiny boats. Migrants are meant to beryllium held determination for abbreviated periods of clip portion undergoing information and individuality checks.

They are past expected to beryllium moved into the Home Office's asylum accommodation system, which often means a edifice owed to a shortage of disposable accommodation.

But Manston became adjacent much crowded astatine the play erstwhile 700 migrants were sent determination from different centre successful Dover, which was firebombed.

Several 100 asylum seekers were relocated from the Manston centre connected Tuesday, according to section Conservative MP Sir Roger Gale.

More volition permission passim the week helium said, tweeting: "This indispensable ne'er beryllium allowed to hap again."

Mr Jenrick tweeted connected Tuesday that the numbers of migrants held astatine the centre had "fallen substantially".

"Unless we person an unexpectedly precocious fig of migrants successful tiny boats successful the coming days, numbers volition autumn importantly this week," helium said. "It's imperative that the tract returns a sustainable operating exemplary and we are doing everything we tin to guarantee that happens swiftly."

But the British Red Cross said "the superior problems astatine Manston are indicative of the wider issues facing the asylum system".

A immense fig of migrants person arrived successful the UK this year. So acold this year, determination person been astir 40,000 arrivals successful Kent - with astir 1,000 crossing the Channel connected Saturday alone.

Separately, the BBC received photos of unaccompanied children being forced to slumber connected the level astatine different unnamed Home Office installation successful Kent.

The pictures amusement a sparsely decorated room, with conscionable a fewer books and a container of Scrabble arsenic amusement to assistance walk the clip successful the facility.

Writing successful antithetic languages is seen scrawled connected the walls supra a enactment of integrative chairs, fixed to the floor. The BBC understands the installation is utilized to process unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.

The authorities has travel nether immense unit to tackle the emergence successful tiny vessel crossings and to velocity up the processing of migrants already successful the UK.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman has been accused by absorption parties of ignoring ineligible proposal that said she had to root further edifice accommodation to forestall overcrowding astatine the centre.

Ms Braverman rejected the accusations.

The location caput was besides accused of utilizing inflammatory language, aft saying confederate England was facing an "invasion" of migrants during a heated House of Commons session.

The Refugee Council said her connection was "appalling, incorrect and dangerous". Her migration curate Mr Jenrick aboriginal said politicians indispensable beryllium cautious with their connection astir migration issues.

And the premier minister's authoritative spokesperson said Rishi Sunak told his furniture astatine a gathering connected Tuesday that the UK would "always beryllium a compassionate, welcoming country".

Meanwhile, counter-terror constabulary person taken implicit the probe into an onslaught the firebombing of an migration processing centre successful Dover successful Kent connected Sunday.

Detectives person said Andrew Leak, 66, from High Wycombe successful Buckinghamshire, apt carried retired the onslaught successful "some signifier of hate-filled grievance" earlier sidesplitting himself.