Asylum seeker with TB told to move onto migrant barge, as crossings hit 100,000
An asylum seeker with tuberculosis has been told they are set to be moved onto the Bibby Stockholm barge. Other migrants to be put on the vessel include those waiting for surgery and mental health support.
A doctor treating the TB patient warned of a "public health catastrophe". It mounts pressure on the Home Office to assure the barge's safety with concerns already rife about potential outbreaks of diseases such as scabies and diphtheria, which have been detected in other migrant accommodation.
Dr Dominik Metz, a GP for more than 250 asylum seekers in Oxfordshire, told the i newspaper one of his patients who is under "active treatment" for latent TB is to be housed on the Bibby Stockholm. In total, 10 of his patients have received letters from the Home Office notifying them they are to be moved to the barge, which is docked in Portland Port in Dorset. He said the department is unable to access medical records so are not aware of people's conditions before they are transferred.
Dr Metz warned against relocating sufferers as he said latent TB can become active - and contagious - if treatment is interrupted. “It’s extremely disruptive for patients but also extremely wasteful in terms of NHS resources,” he added. “If they’ve been through a process already and been seen by specialists, that’s going to get disrupted. There’s also potential public health implications if treatment for TB is stopped part way through.”
He has contacted the Government to tell them the 222-room barge, which is set to house 500 migrants in rooms of up to six people, would be medically inappropriate. “I feel they are being treated like livestock, only slightly worse, as livestock are prohibited from being transported with active infection,” he said.
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Migrant crossings reached the highest number in a single day for the year so far as figures confirmed over 100,000 people have made the journey in the past five years. The first 15 migrants moved onto the Bibby Stockholm barge on Monday.
Since current records began on January 1 2018, 100,715 people have arrived in the UK after making the journey. The milestone was reached after 755 people crossed the Channel on Thursday in 14 boats - the highest daily number so far this year.
The numbers were recorded as a major search and rescue operation was launched after 17 migrants went overboard and were pulled from the water. The Home Office said they were all taken ashore for medical checks.
Tory immigration minister Robert Jenrick this week threatened that the UK could ditch a major international human rights agreement to help tackle the small boat crisis. Leaving the European Convention on Human Rights would mean the UK sits alongside countries such as Russia and Belarus who are already out of it. It would fuel accusations that Rishi Sunak is weak and unable to stand up to hardliners in the Tory Party.
Treasury minister John Glen today said he does not back the UK leaving the European Convention on Human Rights. Asked on LBC's Nick Ferrari if he is in support of "what we understand to be a growing sentiment within the Conservative Party that the United Kingdom should quit the European Convention on Human Rights", Mr Glen said: "No, because I believe in the plan that we've got in place. It hasn't finished the legal process yet.
"This is a Europe-wide problem. We've had a 30% increase in illegal immigration across Europe, but we're working with Turkey, new arrangement with them last week, with France, with Albania. The arrangements with France have led to 33,000 fewer crossings - also tougher fines for employers and landlords.
"We've got the Professional Enablers Task Force. We're working with media companies as well. So this is a multi-dimensional approach as well as the Immigration (Bill) which of course many criticised us for and it was a real battle to take through the Houses of Parliament. But we've got a legal challenge waiting on that, but I believe in plan A and we will see that come to fruition in the autumn."
Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the situation was getting "worse and worse". "Small boat crossings have increased more than twentyfold over the last four years on the Conservatives’ watch, with more than 100,000 people now having made the dangerous journey across the Channel," she said.
“The criminal gangs who profit from undermining our border security and putting lives at risk have continued to run rings around this Government, with their profits soaring from £1 million a few years ago to over £200 million today, while convictions have collapsed.
“After years of empty pledges and broken promises, the Tories’ asylum chaos is just getting worse and worse. They cannot be trusted to get a grip. Only Labour has a serious plan to crack down on criminal smuggler gangs, tackle dangerous boat crossings, clear the asylum backlog and end hotel use by speeding up decisions and fast-tracking cases from safe countries.”
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A Home Office spokeswoman said:“The welfare of asylum seekers being housed on the vessel in Portland is of the utmost priority.
“The Bibby Stockholm has an on-site medical facility to help mitigate the impact on local NHS services and we continue to work closely with health professionals and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to ensure all appropriate health protocols are followed.”
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