Migrants Moved from British Processing Centres Amid Overcrowding

Hundreds of migrants have been moved out of an immigration centre in the British region of Kent following concerns it had become dangerously overcrowded.

Immigration minister Robert Jenrick said the number of migrants at the Manston migrant processing centre had fallen substantially on Tuesday, with more expected to be moved on Wednesday.

It came after the situation was branded a “breach of humane conditions’’ on Monday, with 4,000 people being held at the site.

The exact number to have been relocated has not been confirmed, but Sir Roger Gale, the Conservative MP for the North Thanet constituency which included Manston, said: “several hundred’’ had already been moved.

The union representing Border Force staff working at the site said earlier on Tuesday that the Home Office hoped to take 400 people out of the site.

Two coaches with heavily tinted windows were seen leaving the centre at around 4.15 p.m. on Tuesday.

It appeared the buses were full of people.

Another coach entered the site at around 4.25 p.m.

“Thanks to the hard work and professionalism of Home Office and Border Force staff, military personnel and our contractors we have made good progress,’’ Jenrick said.

He noted that numbers of migrants had fallen substantially today (Tuesday) and we expect them to do so again tomorrow.

“Unless we receive an unexpectedly high number of migrants in small boats in the coming days, numbers will fall significantly this week.’’

dpa/NAN