Content warning: Some may find elements of this story distressing
After the Iraq War devastated his country and the loss of his mother left him with little to stay for, Zainab* set out on a journey in search of a better life.
Enduring hardships and uncertainty as he travelled across Asia and Europe, he arrived in Calais, where he hoped to cross the English Channel and claim asylum in the UK.
Initially believing he would make the crossing by ferry, he was instead told to board a small boat. Battling the cold and harsh waves on a fragile dinghy, he was soaked, shivering, and terrified for his life.
“I was wet from my hair to my stomach. My hands were wet, I was shaking. The cold was inside me,” he said. When he arrived on land, he said: “I had the biggest smile on my face. I said, ‘f**k me, I am saved’.”
An inflatable dinghy carrying migrants makes its way towards England in the English Channel (Photo: Chris J Ratcliffe/Reuters)Zainab now lives on an old military base alongside more than 500 others, one of three active ex-Army sites where the Government houses asylum seekers who arrive by small boats.
The Government opened the asylum accommodation centre at RAF Wethersfield in July 2023, in the Essex constituency of former home secretary James Cleverly.
In the lead up to the election, Labour had vowed to close Wethersfield but in November, facing an escalating backlog of asylum claims, the Government revealed plans to increase its capacity to 800.
The controversial site has faced a host of problems with reports of fights, outbreaks of scabies and concerns about levels of poor mental health among those housed there.
According to Doctors of the World, there have been 283 incidents of self-harm and suicide attempts at the site.
Now, the Home Office is facing renewed calls to evacuate Wethersfield after data obtained by The i Paper revealed “alarming” levels of legionella bacteria at the site.
Eight months after arriving in the UK, Zainab remains at RAF Wethersfield, a disused military base dating from World War Two nestled in the countryside in Braintree, Essex.
Among decaying airplane hangars stand temporary containers where some 500 asylum seekers live.
One of those, a 34-year-old from Eritrea, said there used to be four men to a room, but this has now increased to six.
He had previously told the facility’s doctor the congestion and conditions in the camp made him unwell. The doctor agreed, but said there was nothing he could do.
square ASYLUM SEEKERS Home Office facing calls to shut asylum site after 'alarming' legionella found
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He said the container he sleeps in has no washing or toilet facilities. RAF Wethersfield has also experienced outbreaks of scabies, while people have tested positive for tuberculosis. One resident claimed there is no access to medication.
The asylum seekers receive a weekly stipend of just over £8. Wethersfield is classified as a “contingency accommodation” site and meals are provided, meaning those living there are not entitled to the £49 per week from the Government that asylum seekers get for food, clothing and toiletries.
With only £1.21 a day to spend, those living at the base say they cannot afford to travel the six miles to the nearest town, let alone to London to access legal representation for their asylum cases, which they say increases their likelihood of being deported.
The Home Office spent almost £15m on building work at the Wethersfield asylum seeker site over six months last year (Photo: Carl Court/Getty Images)A 41-year-old journalist from Ethiopia, who fled his country due to his opposition to the ruling political party, said “the lack of freedom” while living at the site has had a significant impact on his health.
“Rather than spending two months in the camp not doing anything, I would rather spend four months doing some voluntary work,” he said.
“When you spend your time at work, it makes you forget about your worries, you are engaged otherwise. When you feel isolated there is some sort of fear factor that you suffer inside you.”
Inmates have reported having flashbacks and nightmares, as their night sleep is often punctuated by the sound of gunshots from a part of the facility that is still used as an RAF Barracks, according to health workers.
“I am scared. I have no sleep because I feel like I am in prison, we go outside to come back. It is like mental torture,” Zainab said.
“I feel like I am in an empty dark place always, because I don’t know what is going to happen.”
Zainab says he has witnessed one of the asylum seekers try to take his own life, and that he has contemplated suicide.
“Ten people have tried to kill themselves since I arrived in the camp,” he said.
The £1billion contract
In January 2019, the company that runs RAF Wethersfield, Clearsprings, secured part of a 10-year contract from the Home Office worth an estimated £1bn.
The company has found housing asylum seekers in ex-army camps to be a lucrative business venture, with additional facilities in Napier Barracks in Kent and RAF Scampton.
According to Liberty Investigates, of the known 180 deaths of people living in Home Office accommodation, 73 had been living in facilities run by ClearSprings between 2016 and 2023.
Entrepreneur Graham King owns 97 per cent of the company and is set to extract a £90m dividend from the migrant accommodation business. He recently made his debut on The Sunday Times Rich List with an estimated net worth of £750m.
Doctors of the World, an NGO that provides primary healthcare to people from outside the site, has called on the site to be closed immediately.
Anna Miller, Head of Policy & Advocacy, Doctors of the World, said: “Our patients have survived war and conflict and then terrible journeys to the UK against all odds.
“They are then put into Wethersfield and left to struggle with depression, suicidal thoughts, PTSD and more, often without medical care.
“The Government’s failure to close the site will lead to more needless suffering and harm.”
Asylum seekers at RAF Wethersfield protesting ‘over their living conditions’ (Photo: supplied)Care4Calais has begun legal action over the conditions at Wethersfield, arguing that the accommodation does not meet legally required standards.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “The welfare of those in our care is of paramount importance.
“All individuals housed at this site have round the clock access to welfare officers, a GP service, and mental health support.
“A suite of isolation bedrooms are also available should a contagious disease be identified.”
Clearsprings declined to comment when approached. Graham King has been contacted for comment.
Anyone affected by any of the issues in this article can call the Samaritans for free at any time on 116 123, email them at [email protected], or visit www.samaritans.org to find the nearest branch.
* Zainab’s name has been changed.
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