More than 100 people recruited to work as guards at the Manston camp in Kent have spent months on full pay without being allowed to do any work, the Guardian has learned.
Manston, near Ramsgate, which processes asylum seekers who arrive in the UK on small boats, was hit by a series of crises last year. An outbreak of diphtheria led to one man dying after falling ill with the infection. There were also reports of filthy conditions, assaults by some contractors and groups of asylum seekers being taken from the camp and dumped in the streets of central London.
New guards, known as detention custody officers, are being recruited to manage small boat arrivals over the next few months after complaints of staff shortages during the busiest period at the site last year.
All new recruits must go through rigorous security checks, something that has been universally welcomed.
However, after recruits have completed their training and initial security checks they are waiting several months for the Home Office to complete the checks and issue accreditation before they are allowed to start working. During this period they are on full pay of £32,500 a year.
One source said: “There are people who completed their training and basic security checks as far back as May. They are keen to start work at Manston but cannot do so until their Home Office accreditation comes through. They are being paid a full salary to do nothing.”
Another said that at one point the number of recruits waiting for accreditation had reached 120.
“While it was fine having a lower number of staff on ‘green days’ when there are fewer arrivals, it proved a challenge coping last week with larger numbers of arrivals,” the second source said.
A third source working as a guard said: “I have known some people wait five, six or even seven months for their Home Office accreditation to come through. It takes forever.”
The detailed scrutiny that contractors such as those working at Manston must undergo includes passport and counter-terrorism checks, enhanced DBS and a prohibited organisations declaration – membership of organisations such as BNP and No Borders is barred.
Before being accredited by the Home Office, the contractors need to complete training that includes courses on control and restraint, powers of detention, immigration control, self-harm and suicide prevention, and an overview of the Human Rights Act.
Tom Ryan, policy analyst of campaign group the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “Hard-pressed taxpayers don’t expect to be paying for staff that aren’t working. While it’s important that guards are properly vetted, the process is clearly too slow. The Home Office should only award full pay once employees have started work.”
Natasha Tsangarides, associate director of advocacy at the charity Freedom from Torture, said:“It’s totally inappropriate for people who have fled torture and war to be housed in sprawling detention facilities guarded by security personnel.
“It’s vital that this government focuses their efforts on rebuilding a fair asylum system and tackles the backlog that has been allowed to spiral out of control after years of incompetence and neglect.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “Applications for certification as a detainee custody officer are processed on a case-by-case basis. To work in the immigration detention estate, all detainee custody officers must be certified by the Home Office. Certification will only be issued to those judged ready for the role and who have received the appropriate training and clearances.
“We take the welfare and safety of people in our care very seriously, and are committed to ensuring detention and removal are carried out with dignity and respect.”
