Local councillor hits out at £700m asylum centre expansion: ‘This area is already deprived!’
Local councillor Marc Rattigan has voiced serious concerns over a £700 million expansion of Manston Asylum Processing Centre in Kent, stating that locals are concerned because the area is “already deprived.”
The refurbishment has sparked anger among residents who are already facing significant economic challenges.
The facility, situated in a village of just 1,975 people, has sparked fears that what was initially described as a temporary processing centre could become permanent housing for asylum seekers.
Speaking to GB News Rattigan said: “People are generally concerned, and we’ve shown compassion for immigrants. A lot of people have voiced that.
“These immigrants who seem to be coming over aren’t women and children; they are grown men. And we are in a very poor area. There have been pictures circulating on social media of the meals being served at the immigration centre, and these meals look like five-star meals.
“As you can imagine, that really annoys people. We live in a deprived area where people struggle with food banks, where it’s difficult to get doctor’s appointments, and now suddenly the government wants to spend millions with no improvement to the infrastructure in our local area.”
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He explained: “It’s a huge concern because, as I said, in the local area, the doctors are overwhelmed. There’s a huge amount of investment needed.
“Rather than invest in our area for our local people, they seem to be investing elsewhere. And like the old saying goes, charity begins at home.
“We should be looking after people here first. I’ve had to wait 3 or 4 weeks to see a doctor, and that’s what frustrates people. It’s not about these poor people needing places to go, but we shouldn’t have to suffer.
“The Government should be putting money into our infrastructure first, and these centres can come afterward.”
“This is not about race or who people are. This is about not knowing who’s on our doorstep.
“There was an incident where people actually broke out of the immigration centre. We don’t know what their history is or what they’ve been through.
“Some people are genuinely scared. People are afraid of the situation, of not knowing who’s on their doorstep.
“There needs to be more communication because we need to know what security measures are in place to protect local residents.”
A Home Office spokesman said: “We began community engagement work last year on the infrastructure upgrade needed at the Manston site.”
“Our top priority remains protecting the security of the local community, and consulting them on the upgrade plans will of course be part of that.”
The spokesman added they were committed to “smashing the criminal gangs responsible for the cross-Channel smuggling trade, and reducing the need for the Manston processing facilities.”