The Home Secretary visited the Western Jet Foil and Manston sites
in Kent today o see the progress being made to ease the pressures
on our immigration system and support people on-site, while
thanking staff for their continued hard work.
went to Western Jet Foil
to speak to officers following the shocking incident there this
weekend.
At Manston, she saw the momentous efforts underway to ease
pressures on site and process individuals into alternative
accommodation, alongside the immediate support being provided,
particularly to vulnerable people.
Over 1,000 people have been moved off site within the last five
days, helping return Manston onto a more sustainable footing.
She also confirmed steps being taken today to immediately improve
the situation on the ground. These include bolstering the 24/7
medical facilities already on site, extra bedding and improved
catering facilities, as well as providing more activities to
support migrant welfare, including for children.
The Home Secretary and operational colleagues agreed that the
vital work to safeguard individuals and provide alternative
accommodation and support as quickly as possible remains their
priority, making sure that people are treated with dignity, care
and compassion throughout the process.
In Dover, the Home Secretary observed the expert techniques used
by operational teams to intercept, identify and process those
arriving via small boats.
She spoke with Border Force officers, military, and other
personnel on the ground and thanked them for their dedicated
work, under difficult circumstances, to protect UK borders and
save lives. The Home Secretary also reiterated her gratitude
and thoughts to all those affected by the distressing incident on
Sunday.
Home Secretary said:
I have met with our expert teams who work tirelessly to save
lives and protect the UK’s borders. I wanted to see first-hand
how we’re working to reduce the number of people in Manston,
support people there, and thank staff for all their efforts.
I am incredibly proud of the skill and dedication shown to tackle
this challenging situation here on a daily basis.
This is a complex and difficult situation, which we need to
tackle on all fronts and look at innovative solutions. To break
the business model of the people smugglers, we need to ensure
that the illegal migration route across the Channel is ultimately
rendered unviable.
