A man has firebombed a centre for Channel migrants in Dover before killing himself.
Police said the man threw up to three incendiary devices at the reception of a processing centre for asylum seekers – the Western Jet Foil facility at the Port of Dover.
Two people suffered minor injuries while the attacker – a middle-aged white man in a blue and white checked shirt – was found dead at a petrol station nearby. Police discovered another firebomb in the car.
A witness said the man was laughing as he threw the homemade devices – attached to fireworks – from his car window. Mail Online reports the man allegedly drove 100 miles to Dover to carry out the attack.
700 asylum seekers moved from Dover
MP for the area, Nathalie Elphicke called it an “absolutely dreadful” attack and told LBC tensions have been rising over the number of migrants arriving in the town.
In an article for the Mail online published on Saturday night, Elphicke called for “an end to the small boats crisis”, writing: “Our border is our front door. No one has the right to walk in uninvited. That is why we have border controls – and why strong border security is vital.
A statement from the police said the processing centre in Dover remains open but “around 700 suspected migrants” have been “relocated” to Manston “to ensure safety during the initial phase of the police investigation.
Already “catastrophic overcrowding” at Manston in Kent, the UK’s main asylum processing centre for Channel migrants, has been worsened by the arrival of the 700 migrants transferred from Dover.
Embattled Home secretary Suella Braverman is considering plans to let migrants stay at hotels that are simultaneously open to the public, according to the Telegraph.
It would enable the Home Office to book rooms instead of reserving an entire hotel
Braverman – whose position is under scrutiny after her resignation and reappointment as home secretary for breaching the ministerial code – is under increasing pressure for her handling of the migrant crisis. More than 40,000 migrants have crossed the Channel this year after an estimated 1,900 arrived this weekend. In 2021, the total was 28,500.
Commenting on the firebomb attack, Braverman called it a “distressing incident”
A spokesperson for the charity Detention Action said they were “deeply alarmed” by the attack “on people seeking asylum” and added: “It violates the deepest values of our society to wish for or inflict violence on people who came to us seeking protection.
“This government must condemn today’s attack and take every step possible to protect the safety, rights and welfare of the people seeking asylum in their care.”
Ukrainians face homelessness in Britain
Elsewhere, Ukrainian refugees in Britain are facing a homelessness crisis if the government does not act to support them, council leaders have warned.
British families have hosted more than 100,000 refugees under the Homes for Ukraine scheme but the six-month stays are coming to an end and many hosts are not extending their involvement, the Guardian reports.
Ukrainians have been encouraged by the scheme to rent their own homes or to “rematch” with other hosts. However, District Councils Network – representing 183 local authorities – said it has numerous reports of hosts not rematching.
A survey of 2,700 potential hosts in Gloucester – those who previously expressed an interest in hosting Ukrainians – found that 85% were no longer interested. A similar survey in Leicestershire, found only 10% of potential hosts were still interested in providing a place for refugees.
