Thousands of vulnerable people are being locked in “unacceptable” conditions in UK immigration centre for long periods of time, according to a new government-commissioned review.
The review, the second published by the former prisons and probation ombudsman for England and Wales, comes more than two years after ministers were initially urged to reduce the use of detention centres for vulnerable immigrants.
In his review, Stephen Shaw concluded that there has been a drop overall in the number of people being detained in removal centres across Britain.
However, the review, commissioned by former home secretary Amber Rudd, stated that the Home Office’s plan of expanding capacity by placing additional beds in existing rooms had simply led to serious overcrowding and “unacceptable conditions”.
Concluding his findings, Mr Shaw has warned that the Adults at Risk policy, designed to make sure those with mental illnesses are not detained, has made “no difference” to the number of vulnerable detainees being held in Britain. Additionally, he has condemned the government’s policy of removing those brought up in the UK.
“I find the policy of removing individuals brought up here from infancy to be deeply troubling,” he wrote. ”It seems entirely disproportionate to tear them away from their lives, families and friends in the UK, and send them to countries where they may not speak the language or have any ties.”