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A man threw petrol bombs attached with fireworks at a centre for processing migrants in the port of Dover today and then killed himself, witnesses said.
The attacker, a white man in a striped top, drove up to the centre in a white SEAT sports utility vehicle.
He got out and threw three petrol bombs, one of which did not go off, a photographer said.
He then drove to a nearby petrol station and killed himself, it was said. Police arrived minutes afterwards and cordoned off the area.
The incident came after almost 1,000 migrants arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel on Saturday.
The attacker was described as a white man in a striped top, who drove up to the centre in a white SEAT sports utility vehicle
A man threw three petrol bombs at a migrant processing centre in Kent, and took his own life according to witnesses
One of the three bombs is understood not to have gone off, while two others are believed to have become ignited
Members of the military and UK Border Force extinguish a fire from a petrol bomb in Dover, Kent
The group managed to successfully extinguish the flames after the petrol bomb was thrown
Emergency services rush to the scene of the fire at the migrant processing centre in Dover, Kent
A map shows the location of the migrant processing centre where the man threw three petrol bombs before driving to a nearby garage and taking his own life according to witnesses
A view of the docks and the migrant processing centre in Dover, Kent, following the incident
A police cordon remains outside the nearby petrol station, where the alleged arsonist is understood to have taken his own life
A police officer covers the car allegedly involved in the incident near the migrant processing centre in Dover, Kent
A fire crew attends the scene of a suspected attack on a migrant processing centre in Dover
A Home Office spokeswoman said: ‘We are aware of an incident at Western Jet Foil, Dover and police are in attendance. It would not be appropriate to comment further at this stage.’
Kent Police stated they were called at 11.22am to The Viaduct, where ‘two to three incendiary devices’ had caused a fire.
‘One minor injury was reported and the suspect has been identified and located,’ a spokesman said. The force added they were ‘unable to confirm’ reports that the suspect had died and said ‘inquiries are ongoing’.
Kent Fire and Rescue Service confirmed its crews had put out fires. Nathalie Elphicke, the Conservative MP for Dover, said she was ‘deeply shocked’.
Government figures show almost 1,000 migrants arrived in the UK via the port yesterday after crossing the Channel.
Huge lines of people thought to be migrants could be seen waiting to be processed at the Border Force compound in Dover, Kent, as a total of 990 arrived.
Nearly 40,000 have arrived in the UK so far this year after attempting the treacherous trip from France, crossing the world’s busiest shipping lanes in dinghies and other small boats, provisional figures show.
It is the highest number of arrivals in one day for a number of weeks, with more crossings taking place on Sunday morning.
The highest number in a single day was set on August 22 when 1,295 people arrived in the country.
It comes after an immigration watchdog said he was left ‘speechless’ by conditions at the Manston migrant processing centre in Kent, and warned the site has already passed the point of being unsafe.
A group of people thought to be migrants at the migrant processing centre in Dover
Dozens of people were spotted being evacuated from the compound after the fire broke out
Kent Fire and Rescue Service outside the Port of Dover Cruise Terminal, close to the camp where the fire occurred
People arriving at a migrant processing centre shortly before the suspected arson attack in Dover
Chief inspector of borders and immigration David Neal told MPs earlier this week that Manston was originally meant to hold between 1,000 and 1,600 people, but there were 2,800 at the site when he visited on Monday, with more arriving.
The revelations prompted the Refugee Council to call for ‘urgent’ action and request a meeting with ministers to discuss proposals for tackling the problems.
Migrants are meant to stay at the short-term holding facility, which opened in January, for 24 hours while they undergo checks before being moved into immigration detention centres or asylum accommodation – currently hotels.
The Sunday Times reported Home Secretary Suella Braverman has been accused of failing to act on legal advice received at least three weeks ago which warned migrants were being detained for unlawfully long periods.
A Home Office spokesperson said: ‘The Home Secretary has taken urgent decisions to alleviate issues at Manston and source alternative accommodation. Claims advice was deliberately ignored are completely baseless.
‘It is right we look at all available options so decisions can be made based on the latest operational and legal advice.
‘The number of people arriving in the UK via small boats has reached record levels, which has put our asylum system under incredible pressure and costs the British taxpayer millions of pounds a day.’
Cabinet minister Michael Gove said the situation at Manston is ‘deeply concerning’, but he denied the Home Secretary ignored or dismissed legal advice.
‘The situation in Manston is not what it should be,’ he told Sky News’s Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme.
‘Everyone acknowledges that. We have more than 2,000 people there at the moment.’
The Liberal Democrats have called on the Government to publish the legal advice reportedly ignored by Ms Braverman.
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