PRESS RELEASE: Frank Ospina's Inquest Findings

‍FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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16 October 2024

Contact:
Gee Manoharan, Co-Director of Policy and Influencing
Email: gee.manoharan@aviddetention.org.uk
Phone: 0207 281 0533

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"The System Destroyed Him": The tragic death of Frank Ospina exposes the failing Immigration detention system.

The tragic death of Frank Ospina, a Colombian national who took his life in Colnbrook Immigration Removal Centre last year, has laid bare the deep-rooted failures within the UK’s immigration detention system. The inquest jury’s ruling highlighted multiple failings in his care—failings that ultimately cost him his life. This death, like so many others, shines a harsh light on a system built not on protection, but on punishment.

Gee Manoharan, Co-Director at AVID, who was also held at the same facility as Ospina, issued a scathing indictment of the system:
“The system didn’t just fail Frank Ospina—it destroyed him. Detention centres like Colnbrook operate like prisons. His death mirrors the psychological and physical toll I witnessed firsthand. I was detained in the same center. The mental health deterioration in detention is inevitable—it's the outcome of deliberate cruelty and neglect."

The case of Frank Ospina is not isolated. Recent reports from His Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) at Harmondsworth IRC(July2024), the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) at Derwentside IRC(July 2024) and the report published last week from IMB on the Pre-departure Family Unit(Gatwick), all expose alarming patterns of neglect and inhumane conditions. These reports confirm that detention environments are fundamentally unfit for human beings, with growing evidence that indefinite confinement inflicts severe mental health damage.

Systemic Failures Across the Board

Both the Brook House Inquiry, with its 33 recommendations published a year ago, and the IMB’s recent call to end detention for children and families point to one conclusion: immigration detention is beyond reform—it must be dismantled. A damning IMB report from last week on the pre-departure facility for families at Gatwick reveals further systemic neglect, adding to the mounting pressure on the Home Office to overhaul its detention policies.

"We’ve seen enough reports, enough inquests, and enough lives destroyed. Immigration detention is a conveyor belt of despair—it's a system that profits from human suffering," Manoharan added. “Frank Ospina’s death, like so many others, shows us one thing: the only solution is to end detention.”

The Home Office, which has faced criticism for failing to implement adequate safeguards, continues to face growing calls to end its practice of indefinite detention, a practice widely condemned for its detrimental impact on mental health. The inquest into Ospina’s death revealed that suicide prevention measures were fatally flawed, while a Rule 35 report, which could have triggered his release, was never initiated—just one of many missed opportunities.

A Call for Immediate Action

As the UK grapples with a prison crisis, the immigration detention estate is also at a breaking point. Overcrowded, understaffed, and ill-equipped to care for vulnerable individuals, these centres are increasingly recognised as “warehouses of trauma”. Detaining people for months, sometimes years, without trial or sentence solely based on immigration status is a practice that has left countless individuals, including children, scarred for life.

As more reports surface and more lives are lost, there is no question that the system must be dismantled. Lives depend on it.

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For interviews, quotes, or further information, please contact Gee Manoharan at the details above.

Notes to Editors:

• Recent Reports:
  • The HMIP Report on Harmondsworth highlighted unsanitary and unsafe conditions, neglecting the basic needs of detainees.
  • The IMB Report at Derwentside exposed a disturbing lack of mental health support and poor access to essential services.
  • The Brook House Inquiry Report called for sweeping changes, yet many of its 33 recommendations remain unaddressed a year later.
  • Last week, the IMB Report on the Gatwick pre-departure facility advocated ending the detention of children and families.
• Facts about Immigration Detention:
  • The UK is the only country in Europe with no time limit on immigration detention.
  • Research consistently shows the negative impact of detention on mental health, particularly for those detained indefinitely.
  • The Home Office and private contractors like Mitie, G4S, and Serco have been repeatedly criticised for failing to safeguard detainees in their care.

End of Release

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