UK’s largest accommodation site for asylum seekers at risk of arson and violence, Home Office warned

Home Office ministers have been warned that asylum seekers at the UK’s largest accommodation site for migrants are at risk of descending into criminality, Freedom of Information (FOI) requests have revealed.

David Neal, the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration, has written to James Cleverly and Tom Pursglove saying that “hopelessness caused by boredom” amongst the refugees at Wethersfield will lead to harm.

The warning comes after multiple violent incidents have occurred out at the site. Last December, a huge brawl broke out at an ex-military base in Essex, with punches being thrown and chairs being tossed at fellow asylum seekers.

Graphic injuries were sustained by several of the migrants, with one even being sent to Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford to receive treatment.

Neal, the immigration watchdog, visited the site on two separate occasions after the fighting broke out, first in December and then in February of this year.

Writing to Cleverly in December after his visit, Neal warned that the conditions the migrants were housed in – without reliable Wi-Fi and activities to stimulate them – could lead to chaos in the ex-RAF base.

“I am not confident that the Home Office has the right people or the right plans or that it is moving at sufficient speed to keep service users safe. Unless this is addressed as a matter of urgency I predict the frustration of service users will lead to increased criminality, including arson,” the letters said according to The Guardian.

He said that migrants attacking staff resulted in heightened security, which only increased violence even more.

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Neal recommended that the Home Office seek advice from HM Prison and Probation Service on how to occupy the restless migrants. However, after visiting again in February, Neal noted that no improvements had been made.

“I spoke to a number of men and it was clear there was an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness caused by boredom which inevitably in my experience leads to violence,” he wrote.

The Home Office has disagreed with Neal’s assessment. They said: “We take the safety and welfare of asylum seekers at Wethersfield extremely seriously and we will increase occupancy of the site while prioritising welfare and integration.

“Wethersfield is designed to provide adequate and functional accommodation for male asylum seekers and is designed to be as self-sufficient as possible, helping to minimise the impact on local communities and services. We do however provide communal spaces, faith and worship facilities and a large gymnasium to allow for recreational and sporting activity.

“All residents have access to medical support, including mental health support, and a 24/7 helpline provided by Migrant Help is available to raise any concerns.”

The site in Essex began housing migrants in July and has plans to house up to 1,700 people.

The Home Office has confirmed that it plans to use the site to house migrants for three years.

In November, a protest broke out at the site. Footage captured showed men chanting “wrong plan, wrong place”.

In a separate video, taken from the same scene, one asylum seeker can be heard saying: “We just need better accommodation.”