Suella Braverman is under pressure to address questions about deteriorating circumstances at an allegedly overloaded immigration processing center in Kent.
Labour and a prominent Conservative MP have demanded that the home secretary address the House of Commons on the situation at the Manston camp.
Sunday, after an arson attack at a second Dover migrant facility, hundreds of individuals were relocated there.
The government stated that it was regulating immigration and discouraging trafficking.
Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick and Conservative MP Sir Roger Gale visited the Manston center on Sunday to examine pressure-relieving measures.
After his visit, Mr. Jenrick noted the “intense strain,” and Sir Roger, the Member of Parliament for the Kent seat of North Thanet since May 2010, expressed alarm over allegations that Ms. Braverman had chosen against sending more refugees to nearby hotels.
Sir Roger told that Ms. Braverman’s refusal to order more hotel rooms was “incorrect” and was producing a backlog.
This week, 650 migrants will be transferred out of Manston and into hotels or temporary housing, he was promised.
Sir Roger and Labour MPs want the home secretary to respond to MPs’ queries in the House of Commons in the future.
Yvette Cooper, the opposition home secretary for the Labour party, reported a significant increase in the backlog of cases. She urged for “far more efficient” decision-making and the elimination of “extra bureaucratic delays.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the home secretary are likely to discuss the situation later.
Sunday’s arson incident in Dover, in which two persons were injured, was described by Ms. Braverman as disturbing. The suspect was subsequently discovered dead at a nearby gas station.
After the incident at Dover, some 700 individuals who had recently crossed the Channel in tiny boats were relocated to Manston.
No. 10 stated that health and safety were Manston’s priorities.
Dozens of charities have urged for a “kind and effective system” for migrants, prompting concerns over the conditions refugees face at Manston.
Signatories of an open letter to Ms. Braverman, including Christian Aid and Save the Children, recommended safer routes for people entering the United Kingdom.
It stated, “You have mentioned this nation’s historic tradition of granting sanctuary; thus, we ask you to implement a fair, empathetic, and effective system for refugees.
“Deal with the backlog in asylum cases, develop safe routes, respect international law and the UN convention on refugees, and provide refugees with a fair hearing, regardless of how they enter the country. Then you would have truly accomplished something to dream of.”
Enver Solomon, chief executive officer of the Refugee Council, stated that an equitable system “does not place thousands of individuals in Manston in unsafe and unsanitary situations.” He advocated for cases to be handled properly and a system that assures sufficient safe routes to the United Kingdom.
Extremely dangerous
According to the government, about 1,000 migrants crossed the English Channel by boat on Saturday.
Last week, independent border inspector David Neal told members of parliament he was rendered speechless by the “very dangerous” scenario at Manston, a facility where migrants were only supposed to spend a few hours.
Sir Roger reported that approximately 4,000 refugees are currently being accommodated in the former Royal Air Force base, which was originally designed to host 1,000. Some have been there for five weeks, stated Sir Roger.
39,430 individuals have undertaken the perilous crossing from France on small boats so far this year.
MPs learned last week that the United Kingdom spends about £7 million per day on hotels for asylum seekers, with the expense expected to increase.
According to the government, there were 63,089 asylum petitions in the year ending in June 2022, 77% higher than in 2019.
Manston is now home to at least eight cases of diphtheria and one case of MRSA.
She stated, “We need a new agreement with France about the Channel crossings, and we need a big increase in the National Crime Agency’s activities because the number of illegal activities in the Channel has exploded over the past several years.”
A representative for the Home Office stated, “The United Kingdom has a strong tradition of offering protection to those who truly require it through our safe and legal methods, and has lately welcomed hundreds of thousands of individuals from Hong Kong, Afghanistan, and Ukraine.”
The public properly expects us to regulate immigration at a time when the number of individuals arriving in the United Kingdom through tiny boats has reached record highs, putting strain on the asylum system and exceeding our capacity to assist those in need.
We are using every resource at our disposal to dissuade illegal immigration, destroy the business model of people smugglers, and relocate to Rwanda those who have no legal right to be in the United Kingdom.
Labour is also anticipated to question Ms. Braverman about the security lapse that led to her resignation from the cabinet of Liz Truss on 19 October.
Last week, she was reappointed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who stated she had acknowledged her error.
