Displaying items by tag: detention centre

Women immigration detainees are being sent to Yarl's Wood detention centre despite a confirmed case of coronavirus there. Some women have underlying health conditions and sanitation is poor - only one hand sanitiser in the building and women are issued with one pair of gloves and one mask each with no instructions. ‘Women for Refugee Women’ supports women in the centre and said the decision to continue bringing in new detainees was ‘negligent’ and accused the Home Office of putting lives at risk. One woman in her 40s, who asked to remain anonymous, said detainees continued to move around the centre with no social distancing in communal areas and women had to share rooms. Detainees with health conditions are ‘terrified’ about becoming infected. Staff are not providing updated information and some women have been told there was ‘no need for concern’ the charity said. The Home Office strongly denied the claims.

In a rare move, 17 Church of England bishops have united with church leaders of other denominations to urge the government to end indefinite detention, This move followed a BBC documentary describing Brook House immigration centre as 'a toxic, brutal and a failing environment where self-harming is commonplace'. Data from the Migration Observatory showed that in the final quarter of 2016, 2,573 of the 7,078 migrants released from detention had been held for more than 28 days, and 53 had been held for over a year. In a letter to the Telegraph on 6 September, the bishops say they are 'deeply concerned' by the findings, and accuse 'some politicians and sectors of the media' of dehumanising immigrants. The complaint was organised by former G4S manager and now whistle-blower and priest, Nathan Ward.