Doctors call on Home Office to overhaul detention centre system amid rising concerns

In a report published today, the BMA recommends a complete overhaul of the current system as concerns increase over the use of restraint in such facilities and the management of detainees’ mental health.

Asylum seekers and migrants may be detained in centres while their claims are dealt with or where why have been rejected, pending their removal from the country.

Last year, two-thirds of detainees were held for fewer than 29 days but there are currently 179 detainees across the UK who have been held for one to two years and a further 29 who have been detained for longer than this.

The BMA report states: “The detention of people who have not been convicted of a crime should be a measure of last resort… “Detention should be reserved for those individuals who pose a threat to public order or safety.

“Where individuals are detained, there should be a clear limit on the length of time that they can be held in immigration detention, with a presumption that they are held for the shortest possible period.”

Emma Ginn, coordinator of the charity Medical Justice, said: “The BMA’s report echoes concerns we have been raising for over a decade of many disturbing healthcare failures.”

A spokesman for the Home Office said: “We operate on the basis of a presumption against detention, and the adults at risk policy aims to improve our approach to identifying individuals who may be particularly vulnerable to harm in detention.

“The provision of 24-hour, seven-days-a-week healthcare in all immigration removal centres ensures that individuals held there have ready access to medical professionals and levels of primary care in line with individuals in the community.”