Sophie Cartwright KC, chair of the ongoing inquiry into the infamous Manston Short-Term Holding Facility, has rebuked ex-Tory ex-immigration minister Robert Jenrick over his utter failure to provide evidence on the squalid conditions at the site.

The immigrant detention centre, built on a former military base, opened its doors back in February 2022. Whilst it was intended to hold 1000-1600 people, it was holding around 4,000 people by the end of the year. The Canary‘s Sophia Purdy-Moore noted that:

The Home Office is only supposed to hold people on the site for up to 24 hours. However, a prison watchdog warned that authorities are detaining people on the site for a much longer period, without beds, proper healthcare, or access to fresh air and exercise. The watchdog noted reports of cases of contagious diseases such as scabies, diphtheria and MRSA within the centre.

The Home Office denied that detainees were catching the diseases at the centre. However, on 19 November, an Iraqi man – Hussein Haseeb Ahmed – died of diphtheria contracted at Manston.

Labour commissioned what, again?

In March 2024, the Home Office announced plans to launch a statutory inquiry into the Manston scandal. However, Jenrick has, to date, failed to provide so much as a draft statement to the investigators. A Reform UK representative for Jenrick, who now acts as the far-right party’s Treasury spokesperson, stated that:

Robert’s written statement will be with the inquiry in due course. It is telling that Labour commissioned an inquiry into the detention of illegal migrants, and not into the daily harm illegal migration is inflicting on the British people.

The ruling party at the time of the inquiry’s launch was the Conservatives, Jenrick’s own party, as he will no doubt be aware.

The announcement of the inquiry itself was the product of a lengthy legal battle. In December 2023, the High Court gave permission for former to seek a judicial review over the Home Office’s failure to hold an inquiry into conditions on the site.

However, in September 2024, newly-appointed Labour Home Secretary Yvette Cooper downgraded the statutory inquiry to a far weaker independent inquiry. She argued that the former would cost £26m, whereas the latter would cost just £2.6m.

Given that an independent inquiry focuses on reviewing documents, rather than compelling ministers to testify, Labour undoubtedly did Jenrick a massive favour. Again, the ex-immigration minister is likely aware of this fact.

‘The inquiry is non-statutory’

Jenrick, during his tenure, ordered that colourful childrens’ murals a Kent detention centres – including one in Manston – should be painted over. He stated that they were “too welcoming” towards the immigrant children.

The current inquiry is investigating the actions the Home Office took to alleviate the squalid conditions at the detention centre, along with its handling of Ahmed’s death.

Inquiry chair Sophie Cartwright stated that the inquiry first requested a draft statement from Jenrick back in October 2025. The Reform MP has since received several extensions on the deadline for that statement.

At the end of April 2026, Cartwright stated that:

As at the date of this update, the inquiry has not received a statement nor any update. The inquiry is non-statutory and so relies on those with relevant information and evidence cooperating by providing witness statements and oral evidence.

All thanks go to Yvette Cooper for that “non-statutory” downgrade – clearly Labour had more important places to spend its money.

‘No accountability’ from Jenrick

Seema Syeda, speaking for the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, joined Cartwright her condemnation:

As former Minister for Immigration, Robert Jenrick was at the head of a Victorian-era system responsible for the cruel detention and death from diphtheria of Hussein Haseeb Ahmed.

Hussein, like hundreds of others, came here seeking safety, but instead was imprisoned in conditions fit for neither humans nor animals. Robert Jenrick showed no accountability for this horrific incident and now seeks to return to government, shapeshifting from Tory to Reform, but bringing the same inhumane governing record.

It stands to reason that Jenrick has refused to show accountability or remorse. In Reform UK, he has found a party even more hellbent on the demonisation of immigrants than his former home among the Tories. Likewise, the far-right party’s standard reaction to difficult questions is to hide and run for cover.

Meanwhile, Yvette Cooper has succeeded in pinching her pennies, saving Jenrick’s hide in the process.

Of course, we’re sure that Labour’s little exercise in fiscal responsibility has nothing to do with the fact that it continues to use the Manston facility to this day. The lack of real scrutiny merely happens to line up nicely with that fact that Home Office is currently looking to “reduce operating costs” on the site.

Featured image via the Canary

By Grace

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