A new report has urged UK authorities to make a raft of improvements inside immigrant detention centres, including detention conditions and staffing issues.
ADVERTISEMENTImmigration detention centres in the United Kingdom still have a long way to go.
That's according to a new report by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) released on Thursday.
During a visit to the country between March and April 2023, it flagged up several issues surrounding the uncertainty of how long migrants will be detained, "prison-like" conditions in centres and the treatment of those displaying symptoms of mental illness.
The UK government blasted the report, saying it did not "recognise much" of its content.
The CPT report put forward a set of recommendations for Downing Street, which is currently trying to get its controversial bill to deport asylum-seekers to Rwanda through the House of Lords.
The UK should introduce a time limit for holding people under immigration legislation, with the uncertainty of not knowing the length of detention having a negative impact on detainees, it says.
At the moment, the UK 1971 Immigration Act does not establish a time limit for detention.
This means people can spend six months, and even a year or two in a detention facility, Hugh Chetwynd, executive secretary of the CPT, tells Euronews.
“The uncertainty when you get detained for how long you’re going to be there plays into your well-being,” Chetwynd says, “especially if you haven’t committed a crime and you’re going to be removed.”
Prison-like facilities and poor ventilation
The CPT visited four detention centres located across the country: Derwentside (near Newcastle), Brook House (Gatwick Airport) and Colnbrook and Harmondsworth (London area).
Detention centres are generally well-equipped, according to the report. Some rooms include televisions, cupboards with locks, a seating area and windows that can easily be opened.
Yet, the CPT determined Brook House and Colnbrook detention centres remain prison-like and “not appropriate for holding persons."
While Brook House has been trying to create a better environment by including wall art, more efforts should be made, the CPT says.
Some people reported headaches in centre due to the lack of ventilation in the cells, with the CPT reporting mould.
The delegation also received complaints about the food in all four centres. Concerns surrounded inadequate portions and poor quality.
There are no indications of physical ill-treatment of staff members to detainees, the report says.
It indicates people working in facilities are generally supportive and have good relationships with everyone.
Yet, at Colnbrook and Harmondsworth, there were alleged reports of abusive language by staff members. At Brook House, the CPT noted moments of “dismissive behaviour and a lack of engagement” by staff.
ADVERTISEMENTConcern over treatment of people with mental health illness
People in detention centres have good access to mental health teams, the CPT reported.
But it said the transfer of patients with “severe symptoms of mental illness” to a psychiatric hospital remains a concern.
The CPT also found that some people who have been considered to be unfit for detention were kept in the centres.
Under UK rules, vulnerable people must be brought to the attention of the authorities that make decisions on detention. If a person's health is likely affected by detention, authorities must then assess whether they should be released, the report says.
Still, the CPT found in some centres, people were categorised incorrectly and stayed in detention despite the implications for their health.
ADVERTISEMENTTheir report raised concerns about the deportation processes of foreigners who had committed crimes in the UK, finding they were "locked up 23 hours a day in their cells in poor conditions with little prospect of removal could amount to inhuman and degrading treatment."
In response, the UK government said it “does not recognize much of the content of this report” as it “does not accurately reflect the important work we undertake to ensure the safety and wellbeing of those in our care.”
They claimed the UK has long fulfilled its human rights obligations and ensured the protection of liberties.