English Channel Migrants ‘Being Detained in Unfit Conditions’

The Home Office did not prepare for a predictable rise in English Channel migrant crossings, leaving men, women and children detained in unfit conditions, the prisons watchdog says. Chief Inspector of Prisons Peter Clarke said migrants were often held in what looked like an unsafe building site. Facilities included containers where it was not possible to socially distance. The Home Office said it has since improved facilities and the way it deals with arrivals. So far, some 7,444 migrants have crossed in boats during 2020 – the third annual jump in arrivals. When the numbers began to rise in 2018, Sajid Javid, the then home secretary, described it as a “major incident”.

Migrants are generally taken to two facilities in Dover before being transferred to other units or released on immigration bail. While these facilities are not jails, the prisons watchdog has the power to inspect them because they are used to detain people. One of the facilities, Tug Haven, received 2,500 migrants between June and August – but Mr Clarke said the facilities were completely unsuitable. The detainees entered a fenced compound with a loose rubble base. Once inside, there were a number of gazebos and three containers with chemical toilets – but no means to socially distance and reduce the risk of the spread of coronavirus.

Read more: BBCNews, https://is.gd/Z5TEwC