A migrant processing centre in the UK has seen a major rise in the number of staff fired after failing drug tests, raising serious concerns about the care of vulnerable asylum seekers.
At least 29 staff at the Manston processing centre in Kent were dismissed in 2024 after testing positive for illegal drugs, according to new information from the Home Office. This is a sharp increase from 2023, when five or fewer staff were sacked for similar reasons.
Thousands of people who arrive in the UK after crossing the English Channel are processed at Manston by Home Office officials and contractors. Many of these new arrivals are traumatised and in need of protection. The drugs found in staff tests included cannabis, cocaine, amphetamines, and the painkiller Tramadol, which is not permitted without a prescription.
More than 2,000 staff, including contractors and sub-contractors, work at the site over the course of a year, though only a few hundred may be present at a time. Those in charge of detainees, known as detention custody officers, are held to strict standards. Staff caught with drugs are suspended during investigations and have a chance to appeal.
The Home Office said drug testing—both random and based on intelligence—is used to protect migrants. Anyone testing positive loses their job and accreditation. The government stressed that it has a zero-tolerance policy on drug use at the centre.
Andy Baxter from the Prison Officers’ Association (POA), the union that represents staff at Manston, said the union does not support drug use but believes those affected should be offered support to deal with it.
Manston has faced controversy before. In 2022, some staff were removed after complaints from asylum seekers and other workers. Some claimed that guards were using or even selling drugs on site. However, no staff were officially dismissed that year, according to Home Office records.
The centre has also faced serious overcrowding problems. In late 2022, it held over 4,000 people despite being built for just 1,600. Conditions were so bad that many people got sick with diphtheria and scabies. One man even died from diphtheria, and an inquiry is now underway.
Emma Ginn, director of the charity Medical Justice, which helps people in immigration detention, said she was deeply worried about the number of staff using illegal drugs at a place meant to care for vulnerable migrants.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “We have a zero-tolerance approach to illegal drug use found on testing. By increasing testing and tightening procedures, we are showing our commitment to high standards and the safety of everyone at Manston.”
In a separate incident last month, a man at Manston tried to take his own life. This is unusual, as most people stay at the centre for only a few hours. The Home Office said it is taking this case seriously and that caring for people at the site remains a top priority.