Rape survivors who arrive in the UK on small boats across the Channel are being neglected by the authorities while others are being inadequately treated for life-changing injuries, a damning report has disclosed.

Inspectors found that suicidal women who had been repeatedly raped by people smugglers were not adequately supported after arriving on UK soil.

One girl who had suffered fuel burns on the boat as she travelled across the Channel was neglected for two days, leaving her with scars for life, it was found.

The disclosures have emerged in reports by prisons inspectors and independent monitors who examined the holding conditions for migrants detained on the Kent coast.

They said that the conditions in which new arrivals are held continue to be “very poor” despite previous Home Office assurances that it would make significant improvements.

The inspectors said they found no evidence of specialist support for vulnerable detainees.

“One woman was held for almost a day after disclosing she had been raped repeatedly by a smuggler five days before she left France.

“She was described as suicidal and ‘inconsolable’. On release, she was housed in unsuitable initial accommodation holding both male and female asylum seekers,” the report said.

Another woman disclosed she had been raped twice on her journey to the UK, but her condition was not followed up. Yet another woman was held overnight before disclosing that she had been “sold” to a man as a house servant, and was then held for another 20 hours, the report said.

Charlie Taylor, HM chief inspector of prisons, said the Home Office had not done enough to improve facilities since the last inspection in September 2020 found that the facilities were badly equipped.

“It is unclear why there had been such delays following the assurances that we were given by the Home Office after our last inspection. Leaders told us of difficulties in coordinating the various partners whose cooperation was required, but this was not a sufficient explanation,” he said.

The Dover Independent Monitoring Board (IMB), which monitors the Kent Channel detention facilities, said it was “extremely concerned” about the continuing – and worsening – conditions in Dover, believing these should be highlighted as a matter of urgency.

It found that migrants faced being held in increasingly cold conditions. Children, including toddlers and babies, were held at Tug Haven, the initial point of entry, overnight.

New arrivals, some of whom had been splashed with scorching fuel on the boats, bore evidence of severe injuries, the report said.

“One 16-year-old girl who had fuel burns on her legs and had been at Tug Haven for two days wearing wet clothes did not have her injuries detected until she was admitted to the Kent intake unit.

“By this time the seam of her clothes had become embedded into the burns and a medic reported that the girl was likely to be scarred for life,” the report said.

Dame Anne Owers, the national chair of IMBs, said urgent action is required. “IMBs have continued to raise very serious concerns about the conditions and treatment of cross-Channel detainees, both on initial arrival and on the subsequent journey through the detention system, culminating in the events described in these reports.”

On Tuesday, the Home Office confirmed that part of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) site in Manston, Kent, will be used as a processing site for new arrivals by January 2022.

The secure site will be able to hold people “for a maximum of five days while their security and initial asylum processing checks are undertaken”.

The announcement was not welcomed by the constituency’s MP, Sir Roger Gale, who told the House of Commons the site was “inappropriate”.

Asking an urgent question, the MP for North Thanet said “there is no indication as to how the site will accommodate these human beings, will be made secure or what facilities will be made available, other than statutory [rules] on the site medical services”.

“I will be grateful if the minister will now instruct the team to do as I’ve already requested: put this unacceptable and unworkable proposal on hold and properly, thoroughly and swiftly examine the viable alternatives. And if while doing so he will conduct the consultations that ought to have been held weeks ago?” he said.

Home Office minister Tom Pursglove told Gale: “That consultation is ongoing, including with local authorities, including with the NHS, and of course, including with him as the constituency member of parliament, and with the police.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: “Last month’s tragedy is a devastating reminder of the dangers of Channel crossings and that’s why we are overhauling our broken asylum system to protect lives and ensure people smugglers can’t profit from this crime.

“We take the welfare of people in our care extremely seriously and since these inspections we have continued to improve facilities and are opening new secure facilities.”