Wethersfield asylum seekers housed ‘unlawfully’ at air base

A High Court judge has found former Home Secretary Suella Braverman acted unlawfully in accommodating three asylum seekers at a former RAF base.

The men – who were at MDP Wethersfield in Essex between July 2023 and February 2024 – argued they were living in “prison-like” conditions.

Mr Justice Timothy Mould said the government failed to take into account the three claimants’ experiences of torture, mental health conditions and disabilities.

He was also told the asylum centre was “seriously inadequate”, with residents queuing for food and experiencing outbreaks of scabies.

Mr Justice Mould ruled that Braverman was in breach of her duties under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.

The government failed to assess the “equalities implications” of housing them at Wethersfield, he said.

“That is a most serious and inexplicable omission,” he said.

“It amounts to the clearest failure on the part of the defendant to fulfil the public sector equality duty.”

The first claimant, referred to at the High Court as TG, was a victim of trafficking and serious physical violence, had a disability and had post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.

The other two – named MN and HAA – were also victims of torture and trafficking.

HAA struggled staying in shared rooms at a large occupancy site and was a “potentially vulnerable individual”.

A claim made by a fourth asylum seeker, who was also an ex-resident at MDP Wethersfield, was dismissed by the judge.

The then-Conservative government announced plans to house migrants at Wethersfield near Braintree, as well as RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire, in March 2023.

Migrants were moved into Wethersfield in July 2023 and there were initial plans to accommodate 1,700 people there.

Lawyers acting for the claimants said their clients “each suffered a serious decline in their mental health”.

In a statement to media, they said: “[The breaches] illustrate that the home secretary is not only required to have a system capable of operating lawfully, she must act lawfully in each individual case.”

Emily Soothill, from law firm Deighton Pierce Glynn, said victims of torture and trafficking should not be housed at Wethersfield.

“We urge [current Home Secretary] Yvette Cooper to reflect on this judgment, end the use of large sites and close Wethersfield once and for all,” said Ms Soothill.

Maddie Harris of Humans For Rights Network said: “Placing people in camp accommodation on ex-military sites is an inhumane way to treat those seeking protection.”

The BBC has contacted the Home Office and Suella Braverman’s office for comment.