Migrants in the Manston processing centre have posted a plea to the general public for help, by posting a letter in a bottle and throwing it over a fence.
A young girl threw the bottle to a PA news agency photographer on Wednesday afternoon, and called for urgent intervention for the pregnant women and sick people in the facility.
It’s thought the centre is now overcrowded because hundreds more were moved to Manston after a petrol bomb attack at Border Force migrant centre in Dover. There were allegedly 4,000 people stuck in the centre earlier this week, even thuogh it was designed only for 1,600.
The letter was written in broken English and addressed to “journalists, organisation[s], everyone”, and dated October 31.
It claimed that over 50 families were in the Manston building for more than 30 days.
“We fill [feel] not very well we are in a difficult life now,” it read.
It claimed that some people are “very sick” and that even pregnant women who were not being helped by staff.
It added that there was a disabled child there too, but “they don’t even care about him”.
The letter continued: “It’s not easy for someone who has children.
“There’s a lot of children they shouldn’t be here. They should be in a school not prison.”
They said the food “is very bad” and makes them feel “sick”, and that they have no phones, no money and no “smok”.
It added: “We wanna talk to you but they don’t even let us go outside.”
The letter was allegedly passed by a young girl who broke past security guards, and threw the bottle over the fence to a photographer.
A record number of migrants have been arriving at UK shores, prompting concerns over their living conditions and making national headlines recently.
Home secretary Suella Braverman has been accused of making “inflammatory” remarks about the refugees after claiming her policies would tackle migrant “invasion”.
The government has also started targeting Albanian refugees in particular, triggering a row with the country’s government.
Conditions at Manston
Andy Baxter, assistant general secretary of the Prison Officers’ Association, told Sky News this week: “The unrest is spreading across the camp.
“Our members are facing threats from people constantly saying, ‘what’s happening to me? Where am I going? When will I be getting moved on?’”
He also warned that some migrants are threatening to self harm or go on hunger strike over their detainment, especially when the processing staff cannot provide an answer.
Baxter also alleged some people have made “weapons” from every day objects like toothbrushes, and said some of the marquees had “quite poor facilities”.
He added: “There were no seats. There was no furniture. There were no beds. People told me they were sleeping on the floor at night. They would sleep on a blanket.
Baxter warned that there could be a “serious breakdown in public order” unless the army extends its role in the area. Only 14 soldiers are posted to Manston at the moment.