Tuberculosis, scabies and diphtheria – health risks looming over RAF Scampton migrant camp

Overcrowding and disease afflicted previous camps used to process people claiming asylum in Britain – and illness has already been reported at the new wave of camps.

Critics have described the potential housing situation at RAF Scampton as “inhumane” and unable to meet residents’ needs.

Just last month, Sir Edward Leigh, Gainsborough MP, relayed his anxieties to the House of Commons, insisting the former Dambusters’ base was unsuitable for such accommodation due to possible radioactivity.

The Home Office claims it would “ensure all accommodation is safe, habitable, fit for purpose, and meets all regulatory requirements”.

The disused airbase is intended to eventually house up to 2,000 men, primarily from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran, with the first 200 originally due to arrive in mid-August.

However, this has been postponed until October due to reported delays in surveying the 14 buildings planned for use and in finding qualified personnel to manage the gas, water, and electricity connections to the site.

Should legal challenges to stop the site fail, it is feared myriad health risks could emerge, potentially impacting migrants’ wellbeing.

Overcrowding at Manston

The asylum detention centre in Manston, Kent, was initially designed to accommodate up to 1,600 people while their asylum applications were processed.

However, due to the number of migrants arriving on British shores, the facility became overcrowded, accommodating about 4,000 individuals last autumn.

The overcrowding led to outbursts of violence and even a suspected death from diphtheria.

Hundreds of asylum-seekers are lodging claims against the Home Office, claiming they were subjected to unlawful and inhumane treatment during their detention.

Staff at the Manston processing centre have already warned of a potential return of poor conditions in the coming weeks due to the continued influx.

The intention is to prevent the recurrence of these issues by providing adequate accommodation for incoming migrants.

More than 45,000 asylum-seekers arrived in the UK via small boats in 2022, almost double the 28,000 who arrived in 2021.

The Home Office said the influx of migrants shows “no sign” of slowing, with an additional 56,000 individuals expected to arrive by the end of the year.

Government representatives say, without suitable accommodations, many risk homelessness, and consequently, illness, injury, or even death.

Outbreaks at MWP Wethersfield

The Home Office moved the first set of 46 migrants to MWP Wethersfield last month.

Within weeks, the government confirmed a case of the highly contagious scabies.

Shortly thereafter, a tuberculosis outbreak was reported at the former military base.

A government spokesman said: “We continue to work across government and with local authorities to look at a range of accommodation options.”

Fire safety on migrant barge

One of the most controversial aspects of the government’s immigration policy has been the decision to house migrants on offshore barges.

It was recently revealed the Home Office had to delay relocating individuals onto the large Bibby Stockholm barge in Portland, Dorset, due to last-minute fire safety checks, amid concerns the vessel had not received formal approval from inspectors.

Several national organisations and campaigners, including the Refugee Council, Asylum Matters, and Refugee Action, have criticised the government’s plan as “cruel and inhumane”, describing the vessel as “entirely inappropriate” and would house traumatised migrants in “detention-like conditions.”