Council of Europe team raised a wide range of concerns based on visit to Kent detention centre last year

Many asylum seekers may have been subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment at Manston holding facility in Kent, according to a report.

A seven-strong delegation from the Council of Europe’s prevention of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment committee carried out a “rapid reaction” visit to Manston over 25-28 November due to concerns about conditions there, a visit that officials described as “relatively rare” in these circumstances.

Some people absconded from Manston.

One-sixth of those who arrived in small boats were lone children.

Some people were detained at Manston for up to 15 days after being granted bail.

Three different Home Office databases did not communicate well with each other.

There were two documented cases of migrants trying to strangle themselves with seatbelts while segregated in a cell van on the site. The delegation invoked human rights legislation to ensure that the cell van was removed from the site, a stipulation that the Home Office has complied with.

There were cases of people being detained for up to 43 days at Manston.