Former prime ministers Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak and former home secretaries Dame Priti Patel, Suella Braverman and Grant Shapps may be called to give evidence at an inquiry into allegations about Manston processing centre dating back to 2022.
The independent inquiry into the treatment of individuals detained at the Manston facility and conditions during the time period is chaired by Sophie Cartwright KC.
The scope will be to look at events between 1 June 2022 and 22 November 2022. The inquiry opened on March 17th.
During that time the centre was in the spotlight following cases of diphtheria and other illnesses, concerns over conditions and the holding of some people for up to a month.
The centre was designed to process up to 1,600 people over a 24/48 hour period. However, a high number of small boat Channel crossings during the autumn of 2022 and a firebomb attack at the Dover Home Office facility which necessitated the move of 700 people saw numbers at Manston soar to 4,000. All those at the centre were moved out to accommodation by November 22 although the centre was not stood down and remains operational.
The Public and Commercial Services union claimed that the rapid removal of people out of the centre came after the union, Detention Action and a woman held at the facility issued legal action against former Home Secretary Suella Braverman.
The Inquiry will investigate:
- The conditions at Manston during the relevant period
- The treatment of those detained at Manston during the relevant period
- The steps taken by way of capacity planning for Manston and for onward accommodation, including hotels, for the relevant period
- Whether any measures taken to improve conditions at Manston and to shorten the periods individuals spent detained at the site during the relevant period were effective
- Whether there are lessons to be learned regarding the HO’s handling of the incident
The Independent, BBC and The Guardian have revealed the list of those who could be called after a briefing document, marked officially sensitive, was made public when the news organisations made an application to a High Court Judge.
The Home Office memo was drawn up by current Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.
A Home Office spokesperson told The Independent that the home secretary acted on the advice she was given to establish an independent inquiry into events at the Manston between June and November 2022 and the Home Office would be “supporting it fully.”
AND NIGEL FARAGE AS WELL-SAID BREXIT WAS GOING TO THE CROSSINGS-WHAT AN IDIOT.WAS A SCAM.