The Home Office has confirmed that the Manston migrant processing centre in Kent will be relocated after months of overcrowding and disease outbreaks. The site, a former military base, was opened in February 2022 to process migrants arriving in small boats but faced severe capacity issues by autumn 2022.
At its peak, around 4,000 migrants were held at Manston, far exceeding its intended capacity of 1,000 to 1,600 people per day. Many were housed in tents for weeks, leading to outbreaks of diphtheria and other diseases. An official inspection in July found detention periods far exceeded the 24-hour target, with one Afghan family reportedly held in a marquee for 32 days.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman faced criticism for the site's management, with local Conservative MP Roger Gale describing it as 'overwhelmed'. The Home Office acknowledged that the numbers outstripped capacity, and staff reported daily protests and improvised weapons among migrants.
By late November, the Home Office said all migrants had been moved to alternative accommodation, including hotels and immigration removal centres. The relocation of the processing centre is part of efforts to address the backlog of asylum claims, which reached 100,000 by June 2022.
