An independent inquiry into the management of the Manston asylum processing site in Kent has uncovered serious issues, including allegations of racism, the use of excessive force, chronic overcrowding, and the death of a man from diphtheria. These problems were linked to decisions made at the highest levels of government. The inquiry, commissioned by the current government, is looking into the conditions at Manston between 1 June and 22 November 2022, when it was managed by the previous government. Nearly 200 asylum seekers detained at the site are participating in the inquiry, alongside former home secretaries Suella Braverman and Priti Patel, and several government departments, including the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence. Also involved are HM Inspectorate of Prisons and the UK Health Security Agency. Manston was originally designed to hold up to 1,600 asylum seekers for no more than 24 hours, as it lacks proper sleeping and living facilities. However, decisions by ministers to halt transfers of asylum seekers to other accommodations, such as hotels, led to the site becoming dangerously overcrowded. At one point, up to 4,000 people were held there unlawfully for weeks, with many sleeping on the floor in unsanitary conditions. Infectious diseases such as scabies and diphtheria spread, along with reports of assaults, drug use by guards, and racist abuse from staff. One man died after contracting diphtheria, and he was kept in handcuffs for two and a half hours before his death. The inquiry, led by Sophie Cartwright KC, heard that former Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak were involved in decisions related to the Manston site. Laura Dubinsky KC, representing some of the participants, stated that the decision to pause transfers was aligned with the thinking of the Prime Minister’s office. Priti Patel testified that funding was considered insufficient to address the issue of small boat arrivals, including funding for Manston and onward accommodations. Clair Dobbin KC, counsel to the inquiry, described the situation at Manston as taking place in a “crucible of hostility,” emphasizing the ongoing challenge of small boat arrivals. She stated that the inquiry will examine whether the operation at Manston was, at certain points, illegal. A senior Home Office official reportedly wrote that the conditions were “the worst I have observed working in this environment.” The inquiry also heard that Hussein Haseeb Ahmed, a 31-year-old man who arrived by small boat, was kept in handcuffs as he lay dying from diphtheria, and that there were “a succession of missed opportunities” in providing him timely care. The inquiry has also heard reports of racist language used by some staff against detainees. Future dates for the inquiry’s hearings have not yet been confirmed.