The government has announced an inquiry into the deterioration of conditions at the Manston asylum processing centre in 2022 and the Home Office’s handling of the incident.
The Home Office emptied out the centre in November 2022 after the death of a detained asylum seeker, months of criticism, and the threat of legal action over “overcrowded, unhygienic and unsafe” conditions and an alleged violation of people’s rights not be arbitrarily detained.
The announcement of an inquiry follows up on a commitment in March 2024 from the then-Conservative government and home secretary James Cleverly. Cleverly had agreed to hold a statutory inquiry but Labour has decided it will be an Article 3 ECHR non-statutory independent inquiry.
In a statement made to the House of Commons today, Dame Angela Eagle, who is minister for border security and asylum, said the inquiry will investigate the conditions encountered by detainees at Manston Short-Term Holding Facility between June and November 2022.
Eagle said the inquiry should also investigate whether there are lessons to be learned regarding the Home Office’s handling of the incident.
The inquiry’s terms of reference say it will also investigate:
- The treatment of detainees at Manston by staff
- Capacity planning efforts and whether there were failings which caused or contributed to the conditions at Manston
- Whether any measures taken to improve conditions at Manston and to shorten the periods individuals spent detained there were effective, and whether any further measures could and/or should reasonably have been taken to improve conditions
The inquiry should not make findings regarding the current running of Manston, “but regard may be had to changes made and actions taken following the incident to inform recommendations”, the terms of reference also say.
The inquiry will formally begin on 17 March and be chaired by Sophie Cartwright KC, who is regarded as one of the top silks in the country in the field of inquiries and inquests. Cartwright has been a counsel for major inquiries including the Covid-19 Inquiry, the Manchester Arena Inquiry and the Andrew Malkinson Inquiry.
Eagle said the Home Office will provide support to the inquiry and ensure it has the resources needed to fulfil its terms of reference.
She added that the government “will make no comment on issues which are now in the purview of the inquiry until it has concluded, but we will encourage all current and former public officials with evidence to provide to the Inquiry to cooperate with its requests for assistance.”