Immigration Detention
Immigration detention is the practice of holding asylum seekers and migrants in custody while they wait for either permission to enter or deportation from the UK.
Over 20,000 people were indefinitely detained in the UK in 2024 – a third of those for longer than 28 days across nine immigration removal centres (IRCs) and five residential and non-residential short-term holding facilities (RSTHFs), in prison-like conditions.
Issues With Detention
Detention is part of consecutive governments’ policy of performative cruelty towards asylum seekers. Detention is far more expensive than alternatives; more people detained are released on bail, and there is little evidence that detention or any other draconian immigration policies serve as a ‘deterrent’ to irregular migration.
Abuse
In 2023, 428 complaints were made over staff behaviour in these facilities and a further 463 complaints were made about the lack of adequate meals provided. This number only reflects a fraction of the real damage caused because most asylum seekers are too afraid to report inhumane treatment.
Suicide
Immigration detention is detrimental to the mental and physical health of those arbitrarily detained (some of whom are survivors of torture), and the suicide attempt rate is extraordinarily high in immigration detention centres.
Jewish Experience of Immigration Detention
We are reminded of the history of internment of Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi persecution and their internment on the Isle of Man. The detention of Jewish refugees of the past, shares many similarities with the detention of many refugees, asylum seekers, and other migrants today. Both included a public and media discourse that demonises foreigners, creating a narrative of ‘them’ vs ‘us’, with little if any interest in the circumstances that lead people to seek asylum, such as conflict and persecution.
Women in Detention
Immigration detention poses new threats to women, LGBTQIA+, and different minoritised communities due to the blanket, dehumanising way all people detained are treated.
The majority of women detained are survivors of gender-based violence such as rape, forced marriage, and genital mutilation. Yet, rather than allowing women to rebuild their lives, the treatment they are subjected to replicates and continues the patterns of control they are trying to escape.
Many women in detention have reported being subject to sexual humiliation by staff, and the denial of access to social networks and finances makes it impossible for most to get any help.
Almost half of the women in immigration detention reported suicidal feelings, and 91% reported poor mental health.
The callous and populist-baiting nature in which consecutive Home Office administrations have handled asylum has given rise to misogyny being weaponised in the UK’s immigration system.
Alternatives to Immigration Detention
If people are afforded their liberty, they will have more access to support from their family, friends and communities. Alternatives to detention work similarly as workers would provide thoughtful, comprehensive support to people to address their needs. As a result, the outcomes for people when not in detention, it is more human and less stressful (enabling them to take better decisions on the advice received) and it is more cost-effective.
The following policies can be carried out in conjunction with each other:
Community Placement and Support
Individuals can live in the community and receive regular check-ins from the authorities. Community support programmes engage local communities, non-profit organisations, and volunteers to provide housing, transportation, and other forms of support to those awaiting immigration proceedings.
Employment Programs
Providing opportunities for employment and education can help integrate asylum seekers and migrants into society and reduce the likelihood of future immigration violations. Providing support services, such as legal assistance, housing assistance, and access to healthcare, can help individuals comply with immigration requirements without resorting to detention.
Case Management
Assigning asylum seekers to case managers who help them navigate the process. This helps both asylum seekers and authorities and takes away the need for blanket policies that treat all
asylum seekers as criminals.
Criteria for Success
We agree with the Immigration Minister, Angela Eagle, that both ‘compassion and control’ are needed in immigration policy. However, the policy of immigration detention satisfies neither of these criteria. ‘Compassion and Control’ work when asylum seekers:
- Are treated with dignity and respect throughout the procedure.
- Are referred to legal advice.
- Can access adequate material support and accommodation.
- Are offered individual ‘coaching’.
- Are provided with information on their rights and duties and consequences of non-compliance.
Successful Pilot Projects in the UK
Action Access
From 2019 to 2021, the Action Foundation delivered the Action Access programme, which supported women with asylum-seeking status with one-to-one support from a support worker, shared managed accommodation, and legal counselling from a qualified lawyer. The legal counselling model provided the participants with at least three supported opportunities to reflect on their options outside of the stressful environment of detention. The scheme cost less than half the price of immigration detention per person per day and participants reported an immediate improvement to their health and wellbeing and increased their trust in the immigration system.
King’s Arms Project
In 2023, the King’s Arms Project ran a pilot called the Refugee and Migrant Advice Service, which provided case workers and legal aid to asylum seekers. The scheme was found to be two-thirds cheaper than a detention centre and resulted in 80% of clients being offered viable options to regularise their immigration status.
- 80% success rate – The King’s Arms Project saw 80% of clients regularise their immigration status.
- 70% cheaper – The King’s Arms Project was two-thirds cheaper than it would have been to detain.
Conclusion
Alternatives work when asylum seekers and other migrants:
- Are treated with dignity and respected throughout the procedure.
- Are provided with information on their rights and duties and consequences of non-compliance.
- Are referred to legal advice.
- Can access adequate material support and accommodation.
- Are offered individual ‘coaching’.
Read the full briefing here.
