Asylum seekers in Britain will face medical problems in Greek-style camps if ministers continue with their immigration reforms, health workers have said.
A letter from 12 medical groups, including Doctors Without Borders and the British Medical Association, criticised plans for a network of reception centres which could hold up to 8,000 people.
Ministers plan to use the centres, instead of hotels, to hold failed asylum seekers while they await deportation.
They will keep the door open to potential offshore asylum camps, such as those used by Australia.
Health workers said Greece and Australia’s large-scale asylum centres had been linked to mental illness, abuse and limited access to health care.
In their letter to Home Secretary Priti Patel, they called for a “kinder, fairer and more effective approach” in which people would be housed in the community.
“This type of large-scale accommodation prevents people from accessing medical care and presents a real risk to public health,” they wrote.
“This type of accommodation is also inappropriate for people seeking asylum, many of whom will have experienced torture, exploitation and abuse, and are at risk of severe psychological distress and re-traumatisation.”
Aid workers on Greek island camps have found acute levels of mental health suffering, Ms Patel was told.
Australia’s offshore centres were linked to physical and sexual abuse, with hundreds of people flown to the mainland for medical treatment.
Britain has previously housed asylum seekers at Napier Barracks, a much-criticised former military site where about 200 people were taken ill by an outbreak of Covid-19.
A report by inspectors found in July that migrants at Napier had not received proper health assessments and that a virus outbreak was virtually inevitable.
The government says the planned additional centres would provide basic needs and allow appeals to be handled quickly on site.
Potential offshore centres would be set up “if required in the future” and meet the UK’s international obligations, the Home Office says.
The centres are part of a wider package of measures aimed at tightening Britain’s border security after Brexit.
Ms Patel plans to increase prison sentences for people smugglers and those who try to enter the UK illegally.
People who arrive illegally would be eligible for only limited protection status, subject to regular reviews and with few family reunion rights.
Ministers will update MPs on Wednesday on the bill’s progress, after it cleared its first parliamentary hurdle in July.
As well as criticism at home, the government faces accusations from France that a lack of legal asylum routes is encouraging clandestine migration.
The issue was thrust into the spotlight by the tragedy in the English Channel last month, when 27 migrants died while attempting to cross on a flimsy boat.
While France laid the blame with Britain, the UK expressed frustration with Paris that jointly-financed patrols on the French coast were not preventing crossings from happening.
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More on Quran memorisation:
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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The biog
Family: He is the youngest of five brothers, of whom two are dentists.
Celebrities he worked on: Fabio Canavaro, Lojain Omran, RedOne, Saber Al Rabai.
Where he works: Liberty Dental Clinic
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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T20 World Cup Qualifier fixtures
Tuesday, October 29
Qualifier one, 2.10pm – Netherlands v UAE
Qualifier two, 7.30pm – Namibia v Oman
Wednesday, October 30
Qualifier three, 2.10pm – Scotland v loser of qualifier one
Qualifier four, 7.30pm – Hong Kong v loser of qualifier two
Thursday, October 31
Fifth-place playoff, 2.10pm – winner of qualifier three v winner of qualifier four
Friday, November 1
Semi-final one, 2.10pm – Ireland v winner of qualifier one
Semi-final two, 7.30pm – PNG v winner of qualifier two
Saturday, November 2
Third-place playoff, 2.10pm
Final, 7.30pm
