PRESS RELEASE : Home Secretary visits migrant processing facilities in Kent [November 2022]

The Home Secretary visited the Western Jet Foil and Manston sites in Kent today (3 November) to see the progress being made to ease the pressures on our immigration system and support people on-site, while thanking staff for their continued hard work.

Suella Braverman went to Western Jet Foil to speak to officers following the shocking incident there this weekend.

At Manston, she saw the momentous efforts underway to ease pressures on site and process individuals into alternative accommodation, alongside the immediate support being provided, particularly to vulnerable people.

Over 1,000 people have been moved off site within the last five days, helping return Manston onto a more sustainable footing.

She also confirmed steps being taken today to immediately improve the situation on the ground. These include bolstering the 24/7 medical facilities already on site, extra bedding and improved catering facilities, as well as providing more activities to support migrant welfare, including for children.

The Home Secretary and operational colleagues agreed that the vital work to safeguard individuals and provide alternative accommodation and support as quickly as possible remains their priority, making sure that people are treated with dignity, care and compassion throughout the process.

In Dover, the Home Secretary observed the expert techniques used by operational teams to intercept, identify and process those arriving via small boats.

She spoke with Border Force officers, military, and other personnel on the ground and thanked them for their dedicated work, under difficult circumstances, to protect UK borders and save lives. The Home Secretary also reiterated her gratitude and thoughts to all those affected by the distressing incident on Sunday.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said:

I have met with our expert teams who work tirelessly to save lives and protect the UK’s borders. I wanted to see first-hand how we’re working to reduce the number of people in Manston, support people there, and thank staff for all their efforts.

I am incredibly proud of the skill and dedication shown to tackle this challenging situation here on a daily basis.

This is a complex and difficult situation, which we need to tackle on all fronts and look at innovative solutions. To break the business model of the people smugglers, we need to ensure that the illegal migration route across the Channel is ultimately rendered unviable.