HMIP report on Harmondsworth detention centre(2024) highlight the inhumane conditions
HMIP’s recent reports on Harmondsworth IRC, which also highlight systemic failures and inhumane conditions.
The recent inspection report on Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) reveals the stark realities and systemic failures within the UK's immigration detention system. It is a scathing indictment of the conditions and treatment detained people endure and underscores the urgent need for a radical shift in how we handle immigration and asylum processes.
The Report: A Catalog of Failures
- Poor Outcomes for people in detention: The inspection reveals that people in detention experience poor outcomes with inadequate treatment and substandard conditions requiring immediate remedial action (p. 10). All those detained are often held far beyond the justified period, leading to severe mental health issues.
- Staffing Issues: The report notes a shortage of experienced staff, resulting in poor management and inadequate safety measures (p. 12). This has led to a lack of trust and increased tensions between staff and people in detention.
- Safety Concerns: A significant number of detained people report feeling unsafe, with assaults and drug use rampant and inadequately addressed by staff (p. 14). The culture of fear and violence within the centre is deeply concerning.
- Substandard Living Conditions: Harmondsworth IRC's conditions are described as dirty, poorly ventilated, and dilapidated, severely impacting detained people’s well-being (p. 15). Issues such as broken facilities, inadequate heating, and poor sanitation are prevalent.
The report, while highlighting these severe issues, inadvertently normalises detention as a necessary aspect of immigration control. This normalisation is deeply problematic:
- Lack of Alternative Solutions: The report misses the opportunity to robustly recommend community-based alternatives to detention, which are more humane and cost-effective. It acknowledges the high cost and low effectiveness of prolonged detention but falls short of pushing for systemic changes towards alternatives.
- Overlooking Detention's Impact on Mental Health: While the report touches on mental health issues, it does not fully explore the long-term psychological damage caused by detention, nor does it propose comprehensive mental health support strategies tailored to the various needs of people in detention.
- Failure to Address Legal Assistance Gaps: The report identifies a severe lack of access to legal assistance but does not offer concrete recommendations to ensure people in detention receive timely and adequate legal support (p. 24). There is an urgent need to address the legal advice issues within immigration detention. We suggest that a thematic inspection on legal advice and access to justice in immigration detention highlight this gap and redirect recommendations to the Legal Aid Agency and Ministry of Justice for further approaches to these issues. We will be writing to HMIP separately to comment on this.
The Power of Advocacy and Visitor Groups
AVID (Association of Visitors to Immigration Detainees)and visitor groups play a crucial role in supporting people in detention andadvocating for systemic change. We are pleased to see that two of our members (JRSUKand Detention Action) have been mentioned in this report.
Our continuous presence in detention centres, combined with robust advocacy work, such as the letter we wrote last August to highlight failures at the time, "Breaking Point: Continuous Concerns RegardingHarmondsworth and Colnbrook IRCs,"
At the time of writing this letter, we suggested, ‘Current events must not be dismissed as isolated incidents, but rather recognised as critical warning signs of an imminent and deepening crisis within and arising from immigration detention’.
Our sharing of evidence had possibly prompted an unannounced inspection by the HMIP inspectors and clearly demonstrated the power of persistent, informed activism.
What Must Change with the New Government
To tackle these deep-seated issues, the new government:
- Implement Comprehensive Change: Address the systemic failures identified in the report to ensure the safety, dignity, and well-being.
- Reduce Detention Use: Recommit to reduce the use of immigration detention, aligning with recommendations from the Shaw Review. Detention should be a last resort, not a default approach. The new government must also seize work on the two centres that the previous government decided to re-open (Haslar IRC and Campsfield IRC).
- Prioritize Alternatives to Detention: Invest in community-based alternatives to detention, which are more humane. The previous UK government has trailed out two successful alternative projects and has been abandoned without further consideration. Evidence from both evaluations shows significant improvement in the mental health and well-being of those participating in the pilot ATD programmes. This project should be revisited and expanded.
- Improve Access to Legal Assistance: Ensure people in detention have timely access to legal support to help them understand their rights and navigate the legal process effectively.
- Enhance Mental Health Services: Provide comprehensive mental health services tailored to the specific needs of detainees, with prompt assessments and ongoing support.
The new government must take immediate and decisive action to change the immigration detention system and prioritize the well-being and dignity of all individuals within it.