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Former UK prime ministers and senior government officials could be called to testify in an inquiry regarding a controversial processing center in Kent, where small boat arrivals have faced serious challenges. This revelation comes from an internal government memo that was shared with the Guardian as part of a legal scrutinization surrounding the facility.
The inquiry into Manston, a previously functioning military base repurposed as a short-term detention center for asylum seekers crossing the English Channel, is anticipated to have damaging implications for the Home Office’s reputation, according to the memo’s contents.
Key figures mentioned in the inquiry include former Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak, former Home Secretaries Priti Patel, Grant Shapps, and Suella Braverman, as well as former Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, along with other high-ranking ministers and officials from various departments.
Manston began processing asylum seekers in February 2022; however, by the middle of that year, it was overwhelmed, hosting 4,000 individuals despite being designed for only 1,600. This overcrowding was linked to deplorable conditions that fostered outbreaks of infectious diseases such as diphtheria and scabies. Tragically, one detainee, Hussein Haseeb Ahmed, a 31-year-old Iraqi man, died after developing diphtheria, emphasizing the severe risks faced by asylum seekers in the facility.
In early 2024, then Home Secretary James Cleverly agreed to establish a public inquiry into the issues that emerged at Manston in late 2022. However, after Yvette Cooper took over the role in July 2024, she opted to diminish the scope of the inquiry, converting it into a non-statutory investigation that would lack the power to compel former government officials to testify regarding their involvement in the Manston situation.
This move prompted judicial review proceedings to contest Cooper’s revision of the inquiry’s framework.
During the judicial review in November 2024, counsel challenging the home secretary referred to a recently disclosed internal government document, which had outlined critical issues concerning Manston. While the Guardian News & Media was present during the court session, a request for this document was initially denied by the government.
Subsequently, GNM, in collaboration with the BBC and the Independent, sought to obtain the internal memorandum. Mrs. Justice Lang authorized the release of the document, highlighting its importance for transparency and public interest.
The eight-page information note, dated July 24, 2024, and marked as “official sensitive,” lists several former key officials who may need to provide evidence at a formal inquiry. In addition to the aforementioned leaders, it identifies five former immigration ministers and various officials among others involved in handling immigration enforcement and related departments in the Home Office.
The note also mentions that legal advisors from the Home Office are orchestrating the preparations for the upcoming investigation, while an initial timeline of significant events at Manston has been compiled. This documentation aims to ensure that the Home Office can engage with transparency and thoroughness, reflecting on the likely negative impacts this investigation could have on their reputation.
The memo identifies several pivotal concerns that warrant scrutiny, specifically the fatal incident involving Ahmed on November 19, 2022, instances of unlawful detention of families and individuals, the inappropriate use of hotels for unaccompanied minors, and allegations of misconduct among some officials.
A series of alleged misconduct reports have emerged, emphasizing issues raised by prominent organizations, including safeguarding comments from the archbishop of Canterbury, alongside contributions from the British Red Cross, the Immigration Service Union, various local councils, and the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants. Concerns have ranged from threats to life to alleged violations of human rights, as well as complaints about the facility’s basic sanitary conditions.
The independent inquiry, led by Sophie Cartwright KC, commenced its review of events during the latter half of 2022 last month. This inquiry aims to assess the overall conditions and treatment of asylum seekers at Manston, as well as exploring what additional measures could have been implemented during critical timeframes.
A spokesperson for the Home Office reiterated that the home secretary had acted on prior recommendations to establish an independent inquiry into Manston’s operations from June to November 2022, and emphasized that the inquiry would proceed while refraining from further comments during its continuation.
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