Home Office Answer to Allegations of Abuse

11 Dec 2008

On the 60th anniversary of the UN Declaration of Human Rights the rights of one group of people continue to be abused. In a public meeting hosted by Diane Abbott yesterday allegations of physical, psychological and sexual abuse suffered by asylum seekers at the hands of immigration guards were put to a Home Office representative.

Speaking at the meeting Hackney North and Stoke Newington MP Diane Abbott argued that with all the negative press on asylum seekers, migrants and refugees, the human rights of people being held in immigration detention centres had been forgotten about. She went on to say that the allegations of horrific abuse suffered by some of these people during deportation could not be overlooked and were a damning verdict on the UK immigration system.

Commenting on the response of the Strategic Director, Criminality & Detention Services Group from the Home Office Diane said:

“It is not good enough to demand that victims report abuses 28 days after they have taken place. Many of these people have been deported by then, they may be traumatised by what has happened or they are kept in detention centres where they are unable to compile evidence for complaints. Many others who have attempted to make complaints have not been listened to. It is up to the Home Office to ensure the rights of everyone living on UK soil are protected. It is up to the Home Office to implement a water-tight system that ensures no-one is subject to abuse at the hands of Home Office employees. If the Home Office insists on keeping people who have committed no crime in detention centres then they must ensure these centres are well equipped and manned by staff who do not take advantage of their power over a vulnerable group of people. I am pleased that these abuses are now being investigated. But I will continue to push the Home Office to clean up their act and adhere to their human rights obligations.”

The “Outsourcing Abuse” report was published in July 2008 by the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns, Binberg Pierce & Partners and Medical Justice. The report details cases of nearly 300 alleged abuses against asylum seekers as they were deported from the UK. Injuries suffered include crushing of the nerves at the wrist from forceful pulling on handcuffs, limitation of neck movements by patients whose heads were pushed under aircraft seats, dislocated wrists and dislocated knees.



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