Manston is designed to hold UK arrivals for 24 hours, but some migrants have reportedly been held there for up to 32 days amid a backlog in processing asylum claims.
The backlog has been compounded by a surge in asylum applications, antiquated IT systems, high staff turnover and understaffing, according to a report by Parliament’s Home Affairs Committee.
An official inspection of the center in July found that “the length of detention was too long, often more than 24 hours and sometimes much longer.”
Suella Braverman, the home secretary, launched an operation to remove occupiers from the center and move them to hotels, which is costing the taxpayer around £7m a day.
Legal challenges
The Home Office is facing two legal challenges to the centre, from a woman detained there and from the PCS, a union representing Border Force workers.
Ms Braverman was reportedly given legal advice that the length of time some migrants had been held in the detention center was in breach of the law.
He has denied having “ignored” the advice and says he did not “veto” them, but he does not deny having received them.
A Home Office spokesman said: “We can confirm that a person staying at Manston has died in hospital this morning after becoming unwell. We would like to express our deepest condolences to all those affected.
“Until a post-mortem examination takes place we cannot comment in detail, but there is no evidence at this stage to suggest that this tragic death was caused by an infectious disease.
“We take the safety and well-being of those in our care very seriously and provide 24-hour healthcare facilities with trained medical staff in Manston.”
Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, said there would be a “full investigation” into the incident.
Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said: “Every person in Manston should be treated with the care and attention they need. When a tragic death like this occurs it is always a serious matter.
“It is vital that a thorough and swift investigation is carried out to understand what happened and whether all necessary procedures were followed.”