The UK’s government, specially the Home Office, which has been under fire over its treatment of asylum seekers over the past weeks, saw a fresh wave of censure on Friday after a minister said it was “a bit of a cheek” for migrants to complain about conditions at an overcrowded asylum processing centre.

The Manston centre in Kent has been under the spotlight for over a week after reports of overcrowding and outbreak of diseases, the BBC reported.

The centre was intended to hold 1,600 people for 48 hours, but till earlier this week, around 4,000 people were crowded into the facility for as long as a month, according to the BBC.

While the migrants called conditions “akin to living in a prison or a zoo,” Home Office Minister Chris Philp told Times Radio: “If people choose to enter a country illegally, and unnecessarily, it is a bit, you know, it’s a bit of a cheek to then start complaining about the conditions when you’ve illegally entered a country without necessity.”

The statement stirred a new controversy and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s office was quick to distance itself from the remarks. Mr Sunak’s official spokesperson said: “ [...] As we’ve been clear, those individuals deserve to be treated with compassion and respect.”

The UK has been grappling with the migrant crisis as the number of people attempting the dangerous crossing over the Channel — stretch of Atlantic Ocean separating southern England from France — to enter the country has risen sharply, Reuters reported.

According to the BBC, 39,898 people have made the journey on small boats since the start of 2022. Meanwhile, the UK government said in the year ending June 2022, there were 63,089 asylum applications – up by 77pc from 2019.

UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman has come under intense criticism over the issue, after The Times reported that her decisions led directly to overcrowding and outbreaks of scabies and diphtheria at the centre. She has been accused of failing to sign off on measures which could have eased pressure at Manston.

Under pressure and pressed to take action, Ms Braverman visited the immigration facilities at both Dover and Manston.

However, her arrival at Manston onboard a Chinook helicopter created a fresh controversy.

A Chinook helicopter costs £3,500 per hour to fly, according to the UK Defence Journal, and could reach a top speed of around 188mph, according to Boeing.

Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2022