Boredom at asylum centre at RAF Wethersfield in Essex could lead to violence says inspector
An inspector has expressed concerns boredom may impact the mental health of asylum seekers housed at a former RAF airbase.
David Neal, the independent chief inspector of borders and immigration, also said a "lack of purposeful activity" at the asylum centre could lead to violence.
Describing the lack of activity at the centre at Wethersfield in Essex, Mr Neal said it "was likely to have a deleterious impact on the residents' mental health".
The Home Office said it "disagreed with this assessment".
Mr Neal visited the former military site in Essex in December and said he was "so concerned" that he wrote to the Home Secretary.
In a letter to legal migration minister Tom Pursglove, obtained by charity Care 4 Calais and dated February 9, the inspector said he had since re-visited the accommodation and found "no improvement" from his last visit.
He wrote: "There were 555 service users at Wethersfield yesterday, all of whom face uncertainty and boredom while lacking constructive outlets for their energies.
"I spoke to a number of men, and it was clear to me that there was an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness caused by boredom, which invariably, in my experience, leads to violence."
It follows an exclusive ITV News report last December where an asylum seeker living at the centre said he felt unsafe due to regular outbreaks of violence at the site.
Video footage of a fight shared with ITV News Anglia shows men punching each other and chairs being thrown in the dining area at the ex-RAF Wethersfield base in Essex.
At the time the 19-year-old from Iran told us: "Inside the camp: dangerous, because [most] nights... [there is] fighting another nationality, another language, another people.
"[There is] security but they can't control [things], because there are many people inside here."
"[There is] no safety. I am scared in here. It's dangerous."
Mr Neal added that a decision was expected on February 12 on whether to increase the occupancy at the site to 800 people.
"On the basis of what I saw and heard during my visit, I am concerned that this expansion in numbers would significantly increase the risk of a serious incident impacting on the safety and wellbeing of Home Office staff, contractors and service users onsite," he said.
A Home Office spokesperson said: "We take the safety and welfare of asylum seekers at Wethersfield extremely seriously and we will increase occupancy of the site while prioritising welfare and integration.
"Wethersfield is designed to provide adequate and functional accommodation for male asylum seekers and is designed to be as self-sufficient as possible, helping to minimise the impact on local communities and services.
"We do, however, provide communal spaces, faith and worship facilities and a large gymnasium to allow for recreational and sporting activity.
"All residents have access to medical support, including mental health support, and a 24/7 helpline provided by Migrant Help is available to raise any concerns."
Local communities have been opposed to the centre from the start, maintaining that the rural location was unsuitable for the centre.
Speaking in March, four months before the site opened, Villager Graham Lucas said "People will be able to come and go pretty much as they please," he said.
"We all understand the situation but, really, in this location it is just not suitable.
"There really aren't the facilities or infrastructure here for them. If they are going to try to walk into one of the villages, there's no pavements, it is busy traffic and roads. I'm really worried about the safety of people."
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