HMIP Attacks Immigration Officials, Report Finds Safeguards during Deportation “Singularly Lacking”

The Chief Inspector of Prisons today published a report into the escort and removal of immigration detainees which found allegations of abusive treatment, detainees self-harming, a lack of proper medical attention, aggression by immigration guards, and a “swift resort to the use of force”. In some cases the use of force led to removal attempts being abandoned.  

Commenting on the report Diane Abbott MP said:

“A year after the publication of the “Outsourcing Abuse” report, the Chief Inspector of Prisons has published a similarly damning inspection of the escort and removal of immigration detainees. I am highly concerned that the Home Office has shown little motivation in addressing these issues which have been raised with them time and time again. We were told almost a year ago that there would be an investigation into the abuse of immigration detainees during escort and removal. I dearly hope that this is not a case of the Home Office sweeping scandal under the carpet in the hope that it will go away. The HMIP report today and the tireless work of organisations like Medical Justice and other support groups suggest it will not. It is still my hope that the Home Office will get their act together and do what they should have done years ago – ensure full and appropriate training of immigration officials, introduce a rigorous and fair complaints system, stop the removal of people with medical problems, and stop the removal of people to unsafe countries.”

Emma Ginn of Medical Justice said:

“We can see no justification for the use of force, which HMIP says in most cases led to a failure of attempted removals – detainees are getting harmed unnecessarily. Injuries we have see include fractured bones, nerve damage, a punctured lung, a dislocated knee and detainees being hurried through airport buildings in wheelchairs as a result. The private escort companies the Home Office contracts shouldn’t be allowed to use force if they have no proper monitoring of it, no routine medical examinations of injuries and no effective means of complaint against its misuse.”

Ends

For more information please call Caitlin Farrow on

020 7219 4426 or email farrowc@parliament.uk  

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