Manston Scandal: Former UK Home Secretaries Face Serious Questions Over Migrant Death
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- Pusat penerimaan migran Manston di Kent melampaui kapasitas hingga 4.000 orang pada November 2022, memicu kematian Hussein Haseeb Ahmed akibat difteri.
- Penyelidikan mengungkap bahwa pejabat Home Office mengetahui kondisi tidak layak dan anak-anak berisiko, namun tidak memiliki rencana alternatif.
- Mantan Menteri Dalam Negeri Priti Patel dan Suella Braverman serta mantan perdana menteri menghadapi pemeriksaan mendalam atas peran mereka dalam kebijakan imigrasi.
A public inquiry in the UK has revealed that the Manston migrant holding center in Kent, designed to hold 1,000 people for a maximum of 24 hours, swelled to around 4,000 occupants in November 2022. The chaotic conditions led to the death of Hussein Haseeb Ahmed, a 31-year-old Iraqi man who was suspected of suffering from diphtheria but did not receive prompt hospital care. His death on 19 November 2022 has raised serious questions for former senior officials, including two former Home Secretaries and a former prime minister.
In a preliminary hearing on Friday (local time), the inquiry's lead counsel, Claire Dobbin KC, said the gathered evidence raised "very serious questions" about how the detention of children in such conditions could be tolerated, both in humanitarian and legal terms. She highlighted that Home Office officials knew the conditions were unlawful and that children were at risk of harm, yet there was no alternative plan to house them. The situation was compounded by the government's hope at the time to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, which was later struck down by the UK Supreme Court.
The Manston facility, a former military site near Dover, was converted into emergency accommodation in early 2022 amid a surge in small boat crossings. However, by November 2022, thousands of people were sleeping in tents, with disease outbreaks such as diphtheria detected. Dobbin revealed that 81 families shared a single toilet, and one detainee used a croissant wrapper as a bandage for a wound. A senior Home Office official even described the conditions as the worst in his 20-year career, and predicted there would be a public inquiry.
The inquiry also highlighted Number 10's involvement in decision-making. Suella Braverman, in her written statement, revealed that the prime minister's office was aware of the situation at Manston and that the decision to stop using hotels led to overcrowding. Meanwhile, the Immigration Minister at the time, Robert Jenrick, was described as having had a "long period of disengagement" despite having issued statements. Braverman's personal legal representation, funded by the government, did not comment at Friday's hearing.
"The evidence raises very serious questions for senior officials and ministers about how the detention of children in conditions like these could be tolerated, both on humanitarian and legal grounds," said Claire Dobbin KC.
The case reflects a systemic failure in the UK's immigration crisis management, which could influence future asylum policy. For Indonesia, as a country of origin for many migrants and refugees, this development is an important mirror of the need for humane shelter governance in line with international law. Indonesia itself often serves as a transit country for asylum seekers, particularly from Afghanistan and Myanmar, so the standard of treatment of migrants in destination countries such as the UK could set a global precedent.
The inquiry is ongoing, and it remains unclear whether former Prime Ministers Boris Johnson or Rishi Sunak will be asked to testify. A full hearing schedule has not been set, but public pressure is expected to increase as more details emerge. The question is whether the UK will reform its immigration system to prevent a similar tragedy from recurring, or whether existing policies will remain in the international spotlight.
