AT LEAST 250 people who were held at the Manston asylum centre in Kent are suing the UK government for unlawful detention and breaches of their human rights.
The claims relate to a period between June and November 2022 when the site was overcrowded and had outbreaks of diseases, according to The Guardian.
The claimants include a woman who had a miscarriage, a child wrongly recorded as five years older than his age, and a teenager who was a victim of torture and trafficking.
During the period in question, people slept on wet cardboard in overcrowded tents. Marquees meant for temporary use were occupied for over a month in some cases.
Outbreaks of diphtheria and scabies were reported, and one man died after contracting diphtheria. Kent police also investigated reports of guards assaulting asylum seekers.
David Neal, the former chief inspector of borders and immigration, described the conditions as so poor he was speechless, The Guardian reported.
Andy Baxter of the Prison Officers’ Association said the site resembled a refugee camp in an unstable country.
A 19-year-old Sudanese man said he was detained for 33 days without clean clothes or proper food and told by some officials to “go back to your country.”
A 17-year-old Kurdish boy told the newspaper his age was wrongly recorded, and he was detained for 12 days. A Syrian woman said she miscarried after 11 days in a tent without medical care.
Emily Soothill of Deighton Pierce Glynn said the clients were falsely imprisoned. Jed Pennington of Wilsons solicitors said the clients want accountability for what happened.
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. (Representational image: iStock)
FBU chief raises concern over rise in racist online posts by union members
THE FIRE Brigades Union (FBU) and other trade unions are increasingly concerned about a rise in racist and bigoted online comments by their own members and officials, according to Steve Wright, the FBU’s new general secretary, speaking to the Guardian.
Wright said internal inquiries have revealed dozens of cases involving members using racist slurs or stereotypes, often aimed at asylum seekers.
He said similar issues were reported in other unions, prompting a joint campaign to counter false narratives around immigration and race promoted by far-right groups online.
“People with far-right views are becoming more brazen in what they do on social media, and I’ve witnessed it with my own union around disciplinary cases and the rhetoric of some of our own members,” Wright said to the newspaper.
He added, “Some of our members and sometimes our reps have openly made comments which are racist and bigoted. In my time in the fire service, that has gone up.”
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. A formal statement addressing far-right narratives will be launched at the union’s annual conference in Blackpool next month.
Wright cited the influence of social media and figures like Donald Trump and Nigel Farage as factors contributing to these incidents. “It feels like an itch that we’ve got to scratch,” he said.
The FBU barred a former official last year for allegedly endorsing racist content on X, including posts from Britain First and Tommy Robinson.
Wright also warned that the union could strike if the government moves to cut frontline fire services.