Asylum seekers housed in disused Army barracks have described the ‘inhumane’ conditions of their accommodation, which campaigners are fighting to get shut down.

Five men in two repurposed camps have detailed harrowing experiences, with one saying he has ‘lost hope in life’ and another describing how people are ‘scared, depressed and traumatised’.

One of the former Army bases in Napier, near Folkestone, is said to be housing around 400 migrants, who are all suffering mental health issues.

Similar complaints have emerged at another converted barracks, thought to be housing another 250 men, which became the UK’s first contingency camp in Penally, Pembrokeshire.

The residents spoke as campaign group Refugee Action demanded the centres be shut and the migrants moved to ‘safe and clean homes’.

Home Office Minister Chris Philip said in the House of Commons this week that the accommodation is ‘reasonable’ and ‘good’ after concerns over the use of such camps under asylum reforms were raised by former Conservative immigration minister Caroline Nokes.

However campaigners have since released accounts gathered across the sites which they have shared with Metro.co.uk.

‘I feel isolated and abandoned’

One man, named Alex, said he has ‘lost hope in life’ and is ‘depressed and anxious about his future’ with no information about when he will be transferred out of Penally, near Tenby in Wales.

‘People are so psychologically burdened,’ he said.

‘This is more than they can handle. There is no psychological support for people who are losing their minds and suffering from anxiety and depression.

‘Healthcare is a major issue. People have a limited number of hours they can report health issues. We cannot call health services directly. People can wait weeks for an appointment.’

Alex told of how he feels isolated after more than two months in the camp.

‘I feel like I am in a prison,’ he said. ‘I am detained although the only thing I did was seek sanctuary here in the UK. Why am I being punished for this?

‘I feel isolated and abandoned by society, alone and in the middle of nowhere. I cannot escape my past. I am constantly facing it because of insecurity.’

‘There is so much suffering’

Another Penally Training Camp resident, named Mark, described how ‘everyone’ suffers from mental health issues and it was impossible to social distance in crowded conditions.

‘It’s like a prison in here,’ he said.

‘Everything is controlled; when it’s time to eat. If you oversleep and miss breakfast, you cannot eat.

‘You are not free. Everyone is suffering with mental health issues. Some people try to be strong but there is so much suffering.

‘No one told me anything before I was brought here. We ask every day how long we are going to stay here but we get no response. The lack of information makes it so much harder.’

Social distancing is impracticable, according to Mark, who added: ‘There are six people to a room. It’s impossible to distance. We have to queue for everything.’

‘Uncertainty is torture’

Mehdi, in his 30s, described being housed indefinitely at Napier in Kent.

‘All the people are suffering with serious mental health issues because they are scared, depressed and traumatised,’ he said.

‘We feel very unsafe. It’s a difficult atmosphere to be in. The hardest part is not knowing what the future will hold and when we will get out.

‘Not knowing is torture. I have serious issues trying to sleep because of the 24-7 noise in the barracks.

‘There are people on different schedules who are from different cultures.

‘But also, I cannot sleep because of the anxiety. I am having to take medication, and I am having nightmares.’

Mehdi, who has been at the camp for two months, claimed there is only one nurse for all the residents, who is only available Monday to Friday.

He said: ‘We have to wait outside for all our meals. I have waited 45 minutes to an hour to get my food. This has meant I have gone without eating.’

Mehdi added that the barracks are cold and when he was interviewed there had been no hot water in his section for four days.

A former resident at Napier, who did not want to be named, is now hosted by UK charity Refugees At Home.

He said: ‘This experiment is awful for me, The beds are exactly like an army base. It’s a one-floor building with two big halls that have 12 to 18 beds in each.

‘I was feeling like a soldier waiting for war. Lots of humans inside have run from their country because of war, especially the young ones.

‘It will be disappointing to feel they are in army recruitment in their first few months of arriving.

‘They are still in shock of a long, disastrous journey with scary scenes they lived through.’

Eduardo, who was in Penally for five weeks, also warned that the military-style accommodation was causing traumatic memories for people fleeing war and conflict.

‘The conditions are getting worse,’ he said.

‘The camp is something like a detention centre, something like a prison.  

‘There are many people who have these experiences from their home countries.

‘Their memories are coming back to them and they are experiencing the same feelings when they were captured and arrested. I cannot describe the feeling they have.

‘When I first arrived I was really, really scared. Just to remember that day when I was moved to the camp. It was the worst experience of my life.’

Penally was turned into contingency accommodation in the summer, followed by Napier in September.

The Ministry of Defence sites were utilised after the number of people crossing the English Channel in boats hit record levels.

‘Camps are inhumane’

Groups supporting people in the camps have complained that they have been unable to enter the barracks unless they sign disclosure agreements backed up the Official Secrets Act.

Stephen Hale, chief executive of Refugee Action, said: ‘Forcing traumatised people to live in squalid conditions behind barbed wire and high fences is not thoughtful, careful or good quality.

‘It’s inhumane. Our evidence is compelling and shows without doubt that these barracks are causing untold misery and must be shut down immediately.

‘The Government must start acting with compassion.

‘It should revert to housing people in safe and clean homes in our communities while they wait for a decision on their asylum claim.’

The Home Office has safeguards including providing asylum seekers with free, fully-furnished accommodation and covering utility costs, providing a 24/7 support service through the Migrant Help charity and a ‘robust’ complaints procedure.

A spokesperson said: ‘The Government takes the wellbeing of asylum seekers extremely seriously and is fulfilling its statutory obligation to support those on the sites, including with health support.

‘They are staying in safe, Covid-compliant accommodation which is fit for purpose and correctly equipped.

‘We are fixing our broken asylum system to make it firm and fair. We will seek to stop abuse of the system while ensuring it is compassionate towards those who need our help, welcoming people through safe and legal routes.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Source: Read Full Article