Migrants detained illegally, official email claims

Hundreds of migrants were illegally detained astatine migration removal centres, according to Home Office emails obtained by BBC News.

The detention centres were utilized to clasp astir 450 radical - described successful 1 email arsenic "overflow" from the migrant processing installation astatine Manston.

The email said their detention was "no longer legal," adding: "We request to determination them to hotels ASAP."

The Home Office said an unprecedented fig of tiny vessel arrivals had enactment "huge pressure" connected the asylum system.

It said it had "worked tirelessly to determination radical into hotels oregon different accommodation arsenic rapidly arsenic possible".

The email was sent connected 4 November, the time aft Home Secretary Suella Braverman visited Manston amid unit to get a grip connected overcrowding astatine the site.

According to a concatenation of emails, obtained nether the Freedom of Information Act, the Home Office imperishable secretaries - the department's astir elder civilian servants - were made alert of the concerns astatine the time.

Shadow location caput Yvette Cooper said the emails "demonstrate the Home Office knew that they were breaking the instrumentality and laic bare however their chaotic nonaccomplishment to program led to this situation".

"Under [Ms Braverman's] absorption the Home Office has mislaid power of the strategy and has created imaginable important ineligible costs for the taxpayer."

In October, it was revealed astir 4,000 radical were being held successful tents astatine Manston, starring to overcrowding and disease.

By aboriginal November, betwixt 450 and 500 asylum seekers had been moved to migration removal centres arsenic "Manston 'overflow'", according to Home Office emails.

"Their detention is nary longer ineligible arsenic they tin lone beryllium detained whilst their individuality is locked down and past lone for a maximum of 5 days," 1 email read.

"Most person been determination for a fig of weeks, longer than immoderate Manston cases. We request to determination them to hotels ASAP…"

Manston was designed to rapidly process and merchandise migrants who get successful the UK successful tiny boats.

But inspectors person raised concerns astir the fig of radical being held for agelong periods successful "cramped and uncomfortable conditions, often supervised by unit who person not been suitably trained".

The location caput is owed to beryllium questioned by a House of Lords committee connected Wednesday astir asylum accommodation and the backlog of unprocessed claims.

One man, who was held successful Manston for 24 days, claims helium was attacked by an authoritative aft what detainees described arsenic a peaceful protest. Kent Police are investigating the allegations.

BBC News has obtained photos taken by unit astatine the centre that amusement the antheral with a blood-stained look and swollen nose.

After the protestation was breached up by Home Office unit connected 27 October, helium said helium was held astir the cervix by an official, and utilized "whatever spot I had to region his limb from choking me".

"When I removed his hands, helium pushed maine and I fell backwards onto idiosyncratic else. While I was connected the floor, the aforesaid serviceman grabbed my caput and utilized his genu to bash my caput successful and broke my nose. From this constituent onwards, I mislaid consciousness."

The BBC has spoken to 5 different detainees who said they witnessed the alleged battle and corroborate the man's claims.

The Home Office said the allegations did not lucifer its knowing of events.

"There is an ongoing probe to found what happened connected this juncture and it would beryllium inappropriate for america to remark further," it said.