Campaigners are calling for the closure of RAF Wethersfield asylum centre after a recent high court ruling declared that the Home Office had acted unlawfully by housing three asylum seekers who were victims of torture, violence, or trafficking at the facility. The court’s decision has been met with approval by various organizations, including Doctors of the World and the Helen Bamber Foundation.
Doctors of the World, a charity that works with migrants and marginalized groups, has been providing medical care to residents of the camp through a mobile clinic. They expressed their support for the court’s recognition of the Home Secretary’s asylum accommodation policy’s failure to adequately protect asylum seekers with special needs or disabilities. The charity emphasized that containment sites like RAF Wethersfield are unsuitable and unsafe for those seeking protection in the UK, citing mental health challenges and distress experienced by residents.
The Helen Bamber Foundation, which supports survivors of torture and trafficking, condemned the use of Wethersfield, calling it cruel and costly. The foundation highlighted the additional trauma caused by placing individuals in camp accommodation on ex-military sites, especially those who have already experienced significant trauma. They urged the government to close the site immediately and shift to a more humane system of housing asylum seekers in communities, not camps.
Amidst these calls for closure, the history of RAF Wethersfield as an asylum center under former Home Secretary Suella Braverman remains a point of contention. The facility’s continued use for asylum purposes raises concerns about the treatment and care of vulnerable migrants.
Doctors of the World and the Helen Bamber Foundation’s statements underscore the urgent need for reform in how asylum seekers are accommodated and supported in the UK. The impact of containment camps on mental health and well-being cannot be overstated, highlighting the importance of providing humane and community-based solutions for those seeking protection.
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