International humanitarian charity begins providing healthcare at former RAF base in Wethersfield
The UK arm of the well-known international humanitarian charity Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said in a statement today that it has launched its first ever project working with asylum seekers in the UK.
MSF UK together with Doctors of the World (DOTW) has begun providing primary healthcare for asylum seekers housed at the former RAF base in Wethersfield, Essex. The site has been used for asylum accommodation since July 2023 and is in the constituency of Home Secretary James Cleverly.
MSF notes that approximately 650 male asylum seekers are currently housed at Wethersfield, though the Home Office intends to increase this to the site's capacity of 1,700.
As we reported on EIN last month, a recent report by the Helen Bamber Foundation (HBF) and the Humans for Rights Network (HFRN) found that the isolated, prison-like accommodation at Wethersfield was causing significant and irreparable harm to the asylum seekers being housed there. The report highlighted that healthcare at the site was insufficient and inadequate.
Simon Tyler, the executive director of MSF UK, said today: "A consequence of the broken asylum system is that we are now seeing people forced into containment sites that operate like open prisons. These camps are not a sustainable solution for anyone there stuck in limbo, or the local communities. But an efficient and safe process can exist to allow people to rebuild, be active, and look after their own health. Our medical team on the ground is supporting those affected access medical care as needed, with the welcomed collaboration of MSF."
While the Government does provide an on-site medical centre at Wethersfield, MSF is concerned that the specific health needs of residents are not being met. In addition, the living conditions at the site are negatively impacting people's mental health and this is expected to worsen due to the new Illegal Migration Act leaving asylum seekers in limbo.
According to the Guardian, MSF UK has deployed three staff in a van near the gates of Wethersfield to provide additional healthcare to the site's residents.
Dr Javid Abdelmoneim, who runs the project, noted: "Many of the men held in Wethersfield will likely have experienced violence, war, arbitrary detention and other trauma and will require tailored and specialised healthcare. Everyone who reaches the UK in search of sanctuary needs safe and dignified accommodation in the community, not in isolated military barracks. MSF is committed to providing medical and humanitarian care to people seeking safety in the UK contained in large-scale sites whilst we see a need."
A Home Office spokesperson told the Guardian that the accommodation at Wethersfield meets all relevant health standards and all residents have access to medical support.
The Home Office's factsheet on Wethersfield states: "The site has on-site primary healthcare delivered by a local healthcare provider Monday to Friday. This is run by healthcare professionals, a doctor and nurses, who offer systematic health assessments and are able to prescribe medication. There is also a welfare facility and an accredited mental health nurse on site."
According to the recent report by HBF and HFRN, the on-site medical centre is run under contract by Commisceo Primary Care Solutions.
BBC News reported last month that Care4Calais has begun legal action over the conditions at Wethersfield, arguing that the accommodation does not meet legally required standards.