Doctors of the World statement on High Court case on the use of military site as asylum accommodation.  

Published 23rd July 2024

Today the High Court will hear a challenge, taken by four people seeking asylum in the UK who have been accommodated in RAF Wethersfield, to Home Secretary’s use of the controversial military site as asylum accommodation.   

The case presents evidence that individuals who are vulnerable, including victims of torture and modern slavery and individuals with significant mental health conditions, are accommodated at the site. The Claimants argue the Home Secretary failed to provide dignified standard of living and that the conditions and regime at Wethersfield are discriminatory and create a real risk of a breach of the European Convention on Human Rights. They also argue the Home Office does not operate an adequate screening system to identify individuals who are unsuitable to be accommodated at a military site.  

Doctors of the World have provided witness statements, based on our experience of delivering medical care to people accommodated in Wethersfield, to assist the court in this case.  

Doctors of the World run a mobile clinic service outside Wethersfield and have provided consultations to over 200 people accommodated in the site, in partnership with Médecins Sans Frontières. Our medical teams have witnessed a mental health crisis unfolding at the site, with 3 in 4 patients presenting with severe psychological distress and 40 percent experiencing suicidal ideation.  

We have also observed a range of safeguarding failures. 75% of patients accessing our clinic were extremely vulnerable or had serious health needs which made them unsuitable for the site according to the Home Office’s own policy. Our attempts to flag people who are at high risk of harm and need to be removed from the site are often not acted upon.  

Anna Miller, Head of Policy and Advocacy, said:  

“Wethersfield is an inappropriate place to put people arriving in the UK in search of protection. The patients we have seen are from countries affected by war or conflict, and almost two thirds have experienced violence or abuse, in some cases torture, trafficking or sexual violence. We can all understand why Wethersfield – which feels like a military prison – is not what people in this situation need to recover.

Witnessing a mental health crisis unfolding at Wethersfield, our doctors have documented the profound impact that the site has on the health of people accommodated there. It’s not surprising that post-traumatic stress disorder and depressive symptoms are the conditions our doctors diagnose most often, but we are also observing alarmingly high levels of suicidal ideation in patients, which aligns with Home Office data showing self-harm and suicide attempts at the site are commonplace.” 

For press inquiries: media@doctorsoftheworld.org.uk

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