‘No evidence’ Manston migrant died from diphtheria

A MIGRANT who died after being housed at the controversial Manston detention centre did not have diphtheria, the Home Office has insisted despite the fears of staff.

The man, who has not been identified, fell ill at the former military base on Friday and died in hospital on Saturday morning. He had arrived in the UK on a small boat on Nov 12.

The Home Office said there was “no evidence at this stage” to suggest his death was caused by an infectious disease, after the Kent site was hit by a diphtheria outbreak last month.

However, Lucy Moreton, of the Immigration Services Union that represents Border Force officials, last night said she understood the man was “admitted to hospital with diphtheria”.

She claimed to have spoken to staff at Manston who had direct confirmation of the positive diphtheria case and said she had “no reason to disbelieve them”.

It is unclear whether the man was alleged to have had diphtheria when he was admitted for treatment this weekend, or when he was initially taken to hospital upon arrival in the UK, before being discharged to Manston on Nov 15.

Ms Moreton’s claim was strongly refuted by Home Offices sources, while Mitie, which manages part of the site for the Government, is also understood to dispute the suggestion.

A separate union source told this newspaper they had been informed the man was suffering from a “respiratory condition”.

There will be a post-mortem examination carried out on the man to determine his exact cause of death.

Efforts to contact his next of kin have so far been unsuccessful, it is understood. The chaotic situation at Manston has been the source of continued criticism in recent weeks after significant overcrowding issues came to light.

Earlier this month, the holding centre was found to be housing more than 4,000 people, despite having a safe limit of 1,600. This number later dropped to within capacity.

Manston is designed to hold arrivals in the UK for 24 hours, but some migrants reportedly were held there for up to 32 days amid a backlog in processing of asylum applications. The backlog has been exacerbated by an increased number of applicants, antiquated IT systems, high staff turnover, and too few personnel, according to a report by Parliament’s Home Affairs Committee.

After news of the man’s death emerged yesterday, flowers were attached to a fence close to the main entrance, along with a cardboard sign which said: “No more deaths, end detention now.”

A Home Office spokesman said: “We take the safety and welfare of those in our care extremely seriously and provide 24/7 health facilities.”