A man who was being held at the Manston asylum processing centre in Kent has died in hospital, the Home Office has said.
The man became unwell on Friday evening and was taken to hospital, but died on Saturday morning. He had arrived in the UK on a small boat on 12 November and was taken to hospital immediately on arrival, it has been reported.
He was then discharged into the controversial processing centre at Manston on 15 November but subsequently became ill again, a government source told The Telegraph.
The Home Office added: “We express our heartfelt condolences to all those affected.
“We take the safety of those in our care extremely seriously and are profoundly saddened by this event.
“A post-mortem examination will take place so it would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.”
Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper tweeted: “Deep condolences to the family and friends of the man who has died after staying at Manston. There will of course need to be a full investigation into this tragic case.”
A Home Office spokesperson added: “We take the safety and welfare of those in our care extremely seriously and provide 24/7 health facilities with trained medical staff at Manston.”
Enver Solomon, CEO of the Refugee Council, said: "Every person in Manston must be looked after with the care and attention they need, so when a tragic death like this takes place it is always a matter of serious concern. It is vital that a thorough and speedy investigation takes place to understand what happened and whether all the necessary procedures were followed."
Manston has capacity for 1,000 to 1,600 people but around 4,000 had been held there in October. Home secretary Suella Braverman came under pressure after it was reported that the government had failed to book enough hotels to house asylum seekers.
Cases of diphtheria and scabies were reported at the centre, although the Home Office said that there was “no evidence at this stage” that the man in this case had died from an infectious disease.
Asylum seekers being held in Manston processing centre described the conditions as like a “prison”. In early November, one young girl threw a bottle containing a letter over the perimeter fence in which she said “we are in a difficult life now.. we fill like we’re in prison [sic]”.
It continued: “Some of us very sick...ther’s some women’s that are pregnant they don’t do anything for them [sic]... We really need your help. Please help us.”
The Home Office is facing two legal challenges over the conditions at the site. The charity Bail for Immigration Detainees is taking action over the government’s failure to provide access to justice for people held at the facility.
A female asylum seeker is also taking legal action alongside the group Detention Action. A pre-action letter sent to the office of Ms Braverman argues that the woman was unlawfully detained in “egregiously defective conditions”.
