Death at Manston migrant facility may have been diphtheria, Home Office says

The Home Office has said that the death of a man held at Manston Migrant Centre could have been caused by diphtheria, following a positive PCR test.

The man died on 19 November, and travelled to the UK by boat seven days before.

It comes after complaints of overcrowding and poor conditions at the migrant centre, where some people are being held for ‘weeks’.

According to the NHS, diphtheria is spread by coughs and sneezes, and the UK Health Security Agency has identified 39 cases in asylum seekers so far in 2022.

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