Flammable devices have been thrown at a Border Force migrant centre in Dover. Kent Police were called at 11.22am on Sunday to The Viaduct, where two to three incendiary devices had caused a fire.
One minor injury was reported and the suspect has been identified and located. A man is said to have thrown petrol bombs with fireworks attached before killing himself, a Reuters photographer said.
The attacker was described as a white man wearing a striped top, who drove up to the centre in a white Seat sports utility vehicle, the agency reported. Police were unable to confirm reports that the suspect had died and said inquiries are ongoing.
The incident came after almost 1,000 migrants arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel on Saturday. A Home Office spokesperson said: “We are aware of an incident at Western Jet Foil, Dover, and police are in attendance.
“It would not be appropriate to comment further at this stage.”
Kent Fire and Rescue Service confirmed its crews had put out fires.
Nathalie Elphicke, the Conservative MP for Dover, said she was “deeply shocked”.
A witness claims that after the attack, the man drove off and killed himself. Police have sealed off the scene.
Almost 1,000 migrants arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel on Saturday, Government figures show.
Huge lines of people thought to be migrants could be seen waiting to be processed at the Border Force compound in Dover, Kent, as a total of 990 arrived.
Nearly 40,000 have arrived in the UK so far this year after attempting the treacherous trip from France, crossing the world’s busiest shipping lanes in dinghies and other small boats, provisional figures show.
It is the highest number of arrivals in one day for a number of weeks, with more crossings taking place on Sunday morning.
Almost 40,000 have arrived in the UK so far this year (Gareth Fuller/PA)
The highest number in a single day was set on August 22 when 1,295 people arrived in the country.
It comes after an immigration watchdog said he was left “speechless” by conditions at the Manston migrant processing centre in Kent, and warned the site has already passed the point of being unsafe.
Chief inspector of borders and immigration David Neal told MPs earlier this week that Manston was originally meant to hold between 1,000 and 1,600 people, but there were 2,800 at the site when he visited on Monday, with more arriving.
The revelations prompted the Refugee Council to call for “urgent” action and request a meeting with ministers to discuss proposals for tackling the problems.
Conditions at the Manston site are ‘unsafe’, MPs heard this week (Gareth Fuller/PA)
Migrants are meant to stay at the short-term holding facility, which opened in January, for 24 hours while they undergo checks before being moved into immigration detention centres or asylum accommodation – currently hotels.
The Sunday Times reported Home Secretary Suella Braverman has been accused of failing to act on legal advice received at least three weeks ago which warned migrants were being detained for unlawfully long periods.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “The Home Secretary has taken urgent decisions to alleviate issues at Manston and source alternative accommodation. Claims advice was deliberately ignored are completely baseless.
“It is right we look at all available options so decisions can be made based on the latest operational and legal advice.
“The number of people arriving in the UK via small boats has reached record levels, which has put our asylum system under incredible pressure and costs the British taxpayer millions of pounds a day.”
Cabinet minister Michael Gove said the situation at Manston is “deeply concerning”, but he denied the Home Secretary ignored or dismissed legal advice.
“The situation in Manston is not what it should be,” he told Sky News’s Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme.
“Everyone acknowledges that. We have more than 2,000 people there at the moment.”
The Liberal Democrats have called on the Government to publish the legal advice reportedly ignored by Ms Braverman.
