UK Immigration Center Keeps Foreign Nationals in ‘Prison-like’ Conditions, Says Report

Immigrants to the United Kingdom who are housed at Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) at Heathrow live in “prison-like” conditions and the center continues to show “considerable failings” in safety and respect for detainees, according to a report published on March 13.

The report was released following an inspection conducted by the government’s Inspectorate of Prisons in October 2017. “The continuing lack of a time limit on detention meant that some men had been held for excessively long periods. As many as 23 men had been detained for over a year and one man had been held for over 4.5 years, which was unacceptable,” Peter Clarke, Chief Inspector of Prisons, said.

Inspectors visiting the Harmondsworth center found that planned removals of immigrants had steadily failed to materialize because of last-minute legal challenges or a lack of travel documents, AFP reported. Immigration Removal Centers usually house foreign citizens such as overseas offenders and asylum seekers while their cases are decided or prior to their removal from the United Kingdom.

The report added that the center’s task in caring for detainees was made complex by the profile of the detainees. “There was a very high level of mental health need and nearly a third of the population was considered by the Home Office to be vulnerable under its at risk in detention policy,” the report said.

Inspectors found that in nearly all of the sample of cases, the Home Office accepted evidence that detainees had been tortured. However, the detention was maintained regardless. “Insufficient attention was given to post-traumatic stress and other mental health problems,” the report added.

While incidence of violence was not found to be high, a large number of detainees felt unsafe because of the uncertainty associated with their cases, and also because a large number of fellow detainees seemed mentally unwell, frustrated or angry. Drug use was also noted as a growing problem.

The Inspectorate of Prisons used an “enhanced” inspection approach, interviewing hundreds of staff and detainees to give them an opportunity to tell inspectors, in confidence, about any concerns relating to safe treatment of detainees. “Only 58 per cent of detainees said that most staff treated them with respect, well below the average figure for IRCs,” Clarke said, adding that the center had failed to progress significantly since their last visit in 2015.

IRC is Europe’s largest detention facility, holding up to 676 male detainees, close to the Heathrow Airport.

“For the third consecutive inspection, we found considerable failings in the areas of safety and respect. Detainees, many identified as vulnerable, were not being adequately safeguarded. Some were held for unacceptably long periods. Mental health needs were often not met,” Clarke noted.

He added that detainees were subject to some disproportionate security restrictions and living conditions were below decent standards.” It is time for the Home Office and contractors to think again about how to ensure that more substantial progress is made,” Clarke specified.

The report added that while physical conditions had improved since 2015, many areas were dirty, and bedrooms, showers and toilets were poorly ventilated.

“There were infestations of mice in some areas. Inspectors were also concerned that only 29 per cent of detainees said they could pass their time in center, but many described ‘a sense of purposelessness and boredom’,” the report said.

Some positive findings were that the on-site immigration team made considerable efforts to engage with detainees, faith provision was good and complaints were managed well.