Images of shirtless African migrants held in squalid, overcrowded conditions at Covid-19 detention centres have surfaced in a report by British media The Sunday Telegraph.

The migrants, who are largely from Ethiopia, were reportedly subjected to racial abuse and beaten with "whips and electric cords", according to one of them quoted by the paper.

Suicidal thoughts and mental health illnesses widespread

Many of the migrants were also reported as suffering from starvation and dehydration, with widespread suicidal thoughts and mental health illnesses.

Among the photos sent to The Sunday Telegraph, one photo showed a migrant who died from heatstroke, while another showed a man who had hung himself from a window grate.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, a 16-year-old who had hung himself allegedly had his body thrown "out back as if it was trash".

One migrant who has not left a classroom-sized room since March said: "We have been left to die here."

When asked about Covid-19, he added: "There are a lot of diseases here. Everyone is sick here; everyone has something."

Why are workers kept in centres?

Many of the workers had been due for deportation back to Ethiopia five months ago, The Sunday Telegraph reported.

However, an alarm was raised by the United Nations in April when Saudi Arabia deported about nearly 3,000 Ethiopian workers back to their country within the first 10 days of that month.

The UN added that such a move could facilitate the spread of Covid-19 and that migrants were being placed in harm's way,  Jakarta Post reported.

The Financial Times reported that the Ethiopian government subsequently requested for a moratorium on the deportations as the country's ability to quarantine the returning workers had been "stretched to the limit".

Another source that was familiar with the deportations added that a Saudi flight was denied from landing on April 11.

Many Ethiopians work in Saudi Arabia as maids, animal herders and within the construction industry.

Top image credit by FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images