MSF UK's statement on the High Court case on the use of RAF Wethersfield as housing for people seeking asylum

Since November 2023, Doctors of the World, in partnership with MSF UK have been providing medical services to men seeking asylum held at Wethersfield through a mobile clinic stationed outside the site.  

Medical data from our project demonstrates a mental health crisis amongst men living there. Over 74% of our patients presented with severe psychological distress, with a staggering 41% experiencing suicidal ideation, as well as deliberate self-harm and suicide attempts.

Our clinicians have also documented multiple failures by the government and other operational partners working at the site to protect and safeguard men held at the site - many of whom have specific vulnerabilities, posing significant risks.

The prison-like conditions and structural violence inherent in RAF Wethersfield exacerbates the psychological distress of people held there, rendering the site unsafe and wholly unsuitable to accommodate people, many of whom have already been exposed to significant trauma, including a past history of torture, violence and abuse. Men we have treated are reporting a decline in health and wellbeing the longer they stay in Wethersfield. 

MSF UK and Doctors of the World UK have been consistently calling for the immediate closure of RAF Wethersfield and to end the policy of using mass containment sites. Instead, people seeking safety in the UK should be placed in safe, appropriate accommodation in the community and should have timely access to the healthcare and protection they need.