Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Cold, hungry migrants stranded in London after error

Cold, hungry migrants stranded in London after error

A group of migrants were mistakenly taken from Kent and stranded in central London, cold, hungry and without accommodation.

About 40 migrants were transported out of Manston, the overcrowded processing centre, on Tuesday so they could stay with friends and family in the capital, a homeless charity volunteer said.

But 11 of them had nowhere to go after reaching Victoria railway station.

The BBC has contacted the Home Office for comment.

The government has faced criticism after reports that Manston was holding migrants, including families, for four weeks, in breach of the law. It is intended people stay for no more than 24 hours while their claim is processed.

At most, 1,600 migrants should be at the processing centre at any one time - the MP for the area said that figure was more like 4,000 on Monday.

The BBC has spoken to one migrant who says he was left stranded at Victoria station on Tuesday night.

John - not his real name - said he spent 21 days at Manston, sleeping on a mattress in a tent with about 150 people.

He referred to the processing centre as a "detention centre" and said he had no phone and no access to the outside world.

John thought he was being sent to a hotel in London when he boarded the coach from Manston on Tuesday afternoon. It was once he was told to get off the coach at Victoria station that he realised he would not be going to a hotel.

"When we got to Victoria station the bus driver told us to get off the bus. I asked the bus driver to please call the immigration officer, but he said that I must get off the bus and call family. I said to him maybe there was misunderstanding because I don't have family in here.

"Other guys saying same. We were about 11 who didn't have anywhere to go. The bus driver just said we had to get off the bus. He said he just had to take us to Victoria and we should use phones to call family.

"At Victoria station I didn't know what to do. Other guys went to their families but where should I go?"

John, who did not want to say where he was from, explained a "charity guy" happened to be at the station, and saw the situation unfold.

Danial Abbas, a volunteer with Under One Sky charity, spotted the group. He told the BBC he saw a group of confused and disorientated men trying to flag down members of the public and staff at Victoria station on Tuesday evening.

The men, who he understood to be from Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq, were all wearing identity bracelets with QR codes on their wrists. They appeared to have been issued by the Home Office, Mr Abbas said.

One of the migrants shows their wrist band


"It was cold. Half of them didn't even have a jacket or proper shoes on. They were wearing flip flops. All their personal belongings were in blue plastic bags," said Mr Abbas.

They were hungry and without any money, "desperate for tea, coffee, soup", Mr Abbas said. He arranged to buy food at McDonald's and bought more than 80 items of clothing for the group from Primark - including gloves, shoes, hats and pants.

"They thought they were going to a hotel in London and were very happy about the prospect of leaving Manston," said Mr Abbas.

There have been a number of cases of diphtheria - a highly contagious bacterial infection - reported at the processing centre.

Mr Abbas sought assistance from charity Migrant Help. He was then able to get in touch with an official from the Home Office, who he says described the situation as "completely unacceptable".

The group was eventually picked up at about 01:00 GMT on Wednesday and taken to a hotel in Norwich, he said.

The British Transport Police said officers arrived at the station just after 22:30 on Tuesday night, responding to reports of asylum seekers looking for assistance.

"Officers engaged and liaised with charity partners, rail staff, and government colleagues to help them find accommodation for the evening," a spokesperson said.

They said no criminal offence was committed.

Migrant Help, which is a charity appointed by the Home Office to provide asylum seekers with advice and help with problems, said they would not comment on individual cases.

But it said it was concerning and "if this was indeed the case then, of course, our sympathies go to the people who have been put into this situation through no fault of their own".

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
EU Majority Demands Hungary Reverse Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws
Top Hotel Picks for 2025 Stays in Budapest Revealed
Iron Maiden Unveils 2025 Tour Setlist in Budapest
Chinese Film Week Opens in Budapest to Promote Cultural Exchange
Budapest Airport Launches Direct Flights to Shymkent
Von der Leyen Denies Urging EU Officials to Skip Budapest Pride
Alcaraz and Sinner Advance with Convincing Wins at Roland Garros
EU Ministers Lack Consensus on Sanctioning Hungary Over Rule of Law
EU Nations Urge Action Against Hungary's Pride Parade Ban
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
U.S. Considers Withdrawing Troops from Europe
Russia Deploys Motorbike Squads in Ukraine Conflict
Critics Accuse European Court of Human Rights of Overreach
Spain Proposes 100% Tax on Non-EU Holiday Home Purchases
German Intelligence Labels AfD as Far-Right Extremist
Geert Wilders Threatens Dutch Coalition Over Migration Policy
Hungary Faces Multiple Challenges Amid EU Tensions and Political Shifts
Denmark Increases Retirement Age to 70, Setting a European Precedent
Any trade deal with US must be based on respect not threats', says EU commissioner
UK Leads in Remote Work Adoption, Averaging 1.8 Days a Week
Thirteen Killed in Russian Attacks Across Ukraine
High-Profile Incidents and Political Developments Dominate Global News
Netanyahu Accuses Western Leaders of 'Emboldening Hamas'
×