The site is described as prison-like by men living there, and many patients we treated had experienced violence, ill treatment, and abuse in their countries of origin and on their journeys to the UK. Most patients we saw had signs of psychological distress, and accommodation at Wethersfield was unsuitable for many people. The unsafe and deeply distressing environment of the site has had a profound and negative impact on the health, well-being, and dignity of the men accommodated there, and we have consistently called for its closure.
United Kingdom 2020 © MSF
United Kingdom
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams in the UK provide asylum seekers with general and mental health care services.
Our work in the United Kingdom
In collaboration with Doctors of the World UK, MSF has initiated a project to deliver general health care to people seeking asylum within the confines of the former military barracks at RAF Wethersfield in Essex.
What’s happening in the United Kingdom
Increasingly restrictive and harmful migration policies focusing on deterrence and enforcement, in addition to a lack of alternative safe routes, have forced people fleeing violence and persecution to risk their lives by crossing the English Channel in small, overcrowded boats. At least 78 people died attempting to cross the channel in 2024, making it the deadliest year on record. In 2024, MSF teams provided essential medical care and called for safe and dignified accommodation for asylum seekers.
In July 2023, the UK government opened a large-scale asylum ‘accommodation center’ in former military barracks in Wethersfield, rural Essex. Around 8 miles from the nearest town, this mass containment site holds men between the ages of 18 and 65, and has a maximum capacity of 800. All the men accommodated here crossed the English Channel to seek safety in the UK.
How we're helping in the United Kingdom
MSF provides comprehensive assessments of the physical and mental health requirements of asylum seekers at RAF Wethersfield.
Our focus remains on providing essential medical care to people seeking safety within the containment site while simultaneously addressing broader issues related to the broken asylum system and advocating for efficient and safe processes.
How we're helping
350
Outpatient consultations
68
Mental health consultations provided in group sessions
*Data from MSF International Activity Report 2024
How you can help
Not everyone can treat patients in emergencies. But everyone can do something.
Some humanitarian crises make the headlines—others don’t. Unrestricted support from our donors allows us to mobilize quickly and efficiently to provide lifesaving medical care to the people who need it most, whether those needs are in the spotlight or not. And your donation is 100 percent tax-deductible.
