Immigration detention is not the answer, for anyone.
People are detained without a time limit, for months, sometimes even years.
It is harmful and expensive. It robs people of their dignity, spirit and lives.
This can’t go on.
We are working towards an immigration system that is based on humanity, compassion and fairness.
A 28-day time limit
on immigration detention for all
Automatic judicial oversight
of detention decisions after 72 hours
An end to the detention
of vulnerable people
Community-based alternatives to detention that respect rights can minimise the use of detention, reducing costs and helping people to live with dignity in the community while going through the immigration process.
News
‘In Three Words’ – Unlocking Detention
Can you describe immigration detention in three words? As part of this year's Unlocking Detention (from 11 November to 19 December 2019), we are asking people to take part in ‘In Three Words’ action to unlock the gates [...]
Digging beneath the detention statistics, 2019: what has changed?
Digging beneath the detention statistics, 2019: what has changed? This blog was written by one of our member organisations, AVID, which supports volunteer visitors to people held in immigration detention, and appeared originally on their website. Official statistics released today show [...]
Two announcements from the Home Office, days before Caroline Nokes’ departure
Two announcements from the Home Office, days before Caroline Nokes’ departure Statement: Immigration Detention Reform On 23 July 2019, the outgoing Immigration Minister, Caroline Nokes, issued a statement entitled “Immigration Detention Reform”, announcing that there has been a 40% reduction [...]
Beyond outrage, and being part of the change
One of the things we value most is an ongoing discussion with some of the Detention Forum members and volunteers about the complex nature and process of creating a social change. Particularly we often talk about the vital importance [...]
A joint letter to the new Home Secretary – “the system need to change now”
Together with many colleagues working for migration justice, the Detention Forum has sent this joint letter to the new Home Secretary. We urgently need a fair and humane immigration system, and the Home Secretary has a lot of [...]
Detention Forum volunteers will be taking a break in August and September
29 July 2019 Many of our social media volunteers will be taking a break from their regular tweeting duty over summer, to prepare for this year’s Unlocking Detention, which starts in November. Unlocking Detention shines a spotlight on [...]
#Unlocked
Unlocking Detention is a twitter tour of the Detention Estate
Get in touch
The Detention Forum is hosted by the Refugee Council.
You can contact the Project Director at detentionforum[at]gmail.com, who works several days a week.
The High Court has ruled a Home Office policy relating to victims of trafficking unlawful. It said the policy didn't meet the UK’s obligations to protect victims of trafficking because it failed to ensure that victims were properly identified https://t.co/jT74jniHKt
A perverse court ruling that substantial periods of a mentally ill man’s #detention were unlawful as the Home Office took too long to arrange suitable alternative accommodation undermines the requirement that detention is solely for removal from the UK https://t.co/Ni3Y4Iz4qA
“As long as it is politically convenient to mistreat those who were not born here, one of the great offices of state [the Home Office] will remain synonymous with scandal and cruelty,” says Satbir Singh of @JCWI_UK https://t.co/vNeoTCkcAP
The IMB report on Morton Hall IRC noted 217 acts of self-harm during 2018, “with a number of prolific self-harmers" amongst those detained. The average length of #detention was 2-4 weeks, but a number of people were held more than a year, one for 571 days https://t.co/CUbFeGOL5p