Inquiry into conditions at Manston asylum centre has stalled, critics say

An inquiry into what went wrong at an asylum seeker processing centre three years ago is at a standstill, critics have said.

A commitment to hold an inquiry into conditions at Manston in Kent in the second half of 2022 was first made by the former home secretary James Cleverly in March 2024 after 18,000 people were unlawfully detained in horrific conditions there.

Emily Soothill, a solicitor at Deighton Pierce Glynn representing some of those held at Manston during that period said: “Our clients are still waiting for answers as to how this was allowed to happen and accountability for the significant harm they suffered.

“We represent highly vulnerable individuals, including children, families and victims of trafficking and torture, who were deeply affected by their experiences at Manston. They are the victims of the inhuman and degrading treatment that occurred, and it is therefore the responsibility of the Home Office to ensure that this public inquiry is allowed to take place without any further delays.”

Jed Pennington, the joint head of public law and human rights at Wilsons Solicitors, who also represents some of the asylum seekers who passed through Manston at the time, expressed concern about delays in the inquiry. “There were repeated delays in the judicial review that led to the inquiry due to the apparent inability of Home Office ministers and civil servants to grip the issue and make decisions that would allow an inquiry to proceed effectively, and it seems that the same issues are preventing the inquiry from making effective progress,” he said.

The inquiry’s website contains sparse information and the evidence section is blank.

Overcrowding at Manston, a former RAF base in Kent, in autumn 2022 led to an outbreak of diphtheria and scabies. Newly arrived asylum seekers were forced to sleep on filthy floors or on flattened cardboard boxes, and toilets overflowed with faeces. Women and children were forced to sleep close to unrelated men and there were claims of assaults by guards.

In one case a pregnant Syrian woman who was detained at the centre suffered a miscarriage after being denied immediate medical attention.

Two former prime ministers – Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak – and three former home secretaries – Priti Patel, Grant Shapps and Suella Braverman – may be required to give evidence to the inquiry.

Asylum seekers were supposed to be held at Manston for no more than 24 hours, but documents show that 18,000 people – of 29,000 processed there between June and November 2022 – were detained there for much longer. Home Office officials admitted that “we completely lost our grip” on the situation in documents disclosed as part of a court case about Manston.

Things became critical in autumn 2022 when the site, which was designed to hold a maximum of 1,600 people, was accommodating 4,000.

The Kurdish asylum seeker Hussein Haseeb Ahmed, who was processed at Manston, died in hospital after contracting diphtheria on 19 November 2022.

In September 2024 the then home secretary, Yvette Cooper, decided to downgrade Cleverly’s inquiry from statutory independent, meaning it has fewer powers to compel witnesses to attend. She cited the projected costs of the planned inquiry – about £26m – as a reason for downgrading it with an estimated cost of £2.6m. The inquiry is chaired by Sophie Cartwright KC.

At least 250 former detainees have filed lawsuits for unlawful detention and human rights breaches. Many are seeking compensation for the physical and psychological harm they endured.

A spokesperson for the inquiry said progress was being made and that a “significant amount of work” was under way, with some disclosures received and timescales set for disclosure not yet received. The inquiry is required to consult the Home Office about its actions.

“The inquiry is awaiting decisions, which it understands will be received imminently, in respect of public hearings and the inquiry’s costs protocols,” the spokesperson said.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “We remain committed to supporting the inquiry, and it would be wrong to suggest otherwise.

“It is right we take the time to make sure important issues related to the inquiry are fully considered. It would be inappropriate to comment further while this work continues.”