‘Bit of a cheek’ for migrants to complain about conditions at overcrowded Manston, says minister

A Home Office minister has been branded “callous” after saying it is “a bit of a cheek” for migrants to complain about conditions at the overcrowded processing centre at Manston in Kent.

Chris Philp was speaking as a hurried operation continued to reduce numbers held at the centre, where 4,000 people were crammed for as long as a month in a facility intended to house 1,600 for no more than 48 hours during initial assessments.

Manston was described as a “pressure cooker”, with individuals and families sleeping in tents amid reports of disease outbreaks and simmering tension.