The immigration detention estate is around 40% smaller than
it was in 2015, the Immigration Minister announced today
(Tuesday 23 July).
This is a key aspect of the series of reforms the
government is making across the detention system in
response to Stephen Shaw’s second review into the welfare
of vulnerable people in detention, published a year ago.
The reforms include promoting and encouraging voluntary
return and introducing a pilot to support vulnerable women
outside detention while their cases are resolved. Practical
changes have also been made to Immigration Removal Centres,
such as reducing the number of beds and rolling out the use
of Skype.
The reforms have meant that there is a higher ratio of
staff to detainees in removal centres and there has been a
more than 30% reduction in the number of people in
detention.
Immigration Minister said:
I am committed to going further and faster in reforming
immigration detention.
Over the past year we have reduced the number of
detainees, improved detention decision-making and
bolstered the safeguards in place to protect the
vulnerable.
We have put in place the foundations that will enable us
to continue the changes Stephen Shaw envisaged last year
and I will continue to ensure that the health and
wellbeing of detainees is the number one priority.
I know there is more to do and I’m committed to making
real change so we have detention and removal policies
which are fair and humane for everyone.
In addition, we are piloting automatic bail referral of
detainees to the First-Tier Tribunal of the Immigration and
Asylum Chamber after 2 months in detention. The pilot is
due to conclude in August.
We have also increased face-to-face engagement with
detainees. There are new engagement teams in the removal
centres improving induction and links between detainees and
their caseworkers. This also supports the management of
detainees’ wellbeing and the identification of any signs of
mental or physical deterioration.
Last July, the former Prisons and Probation Ombudsman for
England and Wales, Stephen Shaw, published a report which
assessed government progress in responding to his 2016
review on the welfare of vulnerable individual in
detention. The Home Secretary welcomed his report and
committed to a series of reforms in response.
