Napier Barracks: Further cases of Covid-19 among asylum seekers

Several asylum seekers housed at a former military site have been removed from dormitories after they caught Covid-19, the Home Office confirmed.

The department has not given figures for those infected at Kent's Napier Barracks but said there had been "a small number" of cases.

An outbreak at the camp in Folkestone in January led to 200 people catching the virus and calls for its closure.

The Home Office said all public health protocols were being followed.

In June, the High Court ruled the decision to house cross-Channel migrants at the base was unlawful, after six people housed there took the government to court over what they said were "squalid" and "unsafe" conditions.

On Thursday, the government confirmed all those who had tested positive had been removed from dormitories, but could not say if others were self-isolating.

However, the Press Association has reported four dormitory blocks are in isolation after three cases of coronavirus were found, and also understands new transfers to Napier were halted after the court judgement, but resumed about two weeks ago.

About 230 people are currently living at the site, which uses dormitory-style accommodation.

A Home Office spokesman said: "While pressure on the asylum system remains, we will use Napier Barracks to ensure we meet our statutory duty.

"Asylum seekers are staying in safe accommodation, where they receive three nutritious meals a day paid for by the British taxpayer."

Steve Valdez-Symonds, refugee and migrant rights director at Amnesty International, said: "Once again Napier Barracks is in the news for a Covid-19 outbreak because the Home Office continues its reckless policy of holding people in this wholly unsuitable accommodation.

"No-one should be forced to live in these squalid and inhumane conditions, certainly not people suffering serious trauma from the tortures and terrors they have fled and endured on journeys to seek safety here."

Clare Moseley, the founder of migrant charity Care4Calais, said it was "no surprise" coronavirus cases had been found.

"The people we work with in Napier are afraid of not being able to protect themselves and we understand their fear. It's obvious that the barracks must close as soon as possible," she said.

The former army base has been dogged by allegations of poor conditions, with inspectors describing an isolation block as "unfit for habitation".

Last month, Home Secretary Priti Patel and Home Office officials defended their decision to continue using the site to MPs, as they confirmed half of the people living there were sleeping in dormitories.

Questions have arisen in recent weeks about the future of the Ministry of Defence-owned site, with MPs and peers told it could be used to house asylum seekers for "another couple of years".

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