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.
Our Ways of Working
Introduction This article sets out our ways of working approved by our members at our quarterly meeting in May 2020. Our membership We are committed to keeping the bottom-up approach, which fosters collaboration within Detention Forum. This means [...]
Report on Adults at Risk in Immigration Detention
On Wednesday 29th April 2020, the Government published the report by the Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration on whether the Adults at Risk in immigration detention is making any difference. And they also published their response to [...]
Open letter on Covid-19 to the Home Secretary from Freed Voices
Rt Hon Priti Patel MP Home Secretary Dear Home Secretary, We, Freed Voices, are writing to express our concern regarding the serious risks posed by Covid-19 to those who continue to be held in Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs) [...]
The importance of grassroots campaigning in working towards ending immigration detention
Change always requires multiple approaches and multiple actors, ideally working together and acknowledging the value of each other’s methods and successes. In the context of working towards the ending of immigration detention (with major reduction in usage in [...]
New: guest blog posts
We are really keen at Detention Forum over the next few months to seek out guest blog posts for our blog to encourage a wider debate to challenge the use of immigration detention in the UK. We will [...]
Towards a new theory of change
Over the last decade or so, our theory of change has been really important to us at Detention Forum. In a nut shell, this is a document that we worked on together, which sets out how we thought [...]
#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.
As @SDvisitors says, the stress and anxiety people in detention are experiencing in the #COVID19 crisis is exacerbated by isolation due to the lockdown. It’s time for the Home Office to release everyone in detention. Pls sign @DetentionAction’s petition: https://detentionaction.e-activist.com/page/57801/petition/1
The latest The Immigration migrants home office visa refugees Daily! https://paper.li/uk_monitoring/1549711964?edition_id=1452de90-9e7c-11ea-97da-002590a5ba2d Thanks to @WomensBudgetGrp @DetentionForum #globaldevelopment #immigrationandasylum
The IMB says: 'to keep someone in detention for long periods is inhumane … under immigration rules ppl should not be detained unless there is a reasonable prospect of removal. The very high proportion of detainees handcuffed … leads to unnecessary humiliation for the majority'
With its existing policy found unlawful, we welcome the news that the Home Office is developing a new policy on the #detention of victims of trafficking. Real change is desperately needed. Detention is not the answer for anyone https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/home-office-review-trafficking-victims-immigration-detention-a9520661.html