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
How will migrants and civil society organisations shape the alternatives pilots? ATD blog series
How will migrants and civil society organisations shape the alternatives pilots? - ATD Blog 2 19 July 2019 In July 2018, the Home Secretary announced a new community-based alternative to detention pilot for vulnerable women detained in Yarl’s [...]
‘What does a migration system without detention look like?’ ATD blog series
‘What does a migration system without detention look like?’ - ATD blog 1 19 July 2019 In July 2018, the Home Secretary announced a new community-based alternative to detention pilot for vulnerable women detained in Yarl’s Wood or [...]
Has child immigration detention ended in the UK?
3 July 2019 Has child immigration detention ended in the UK? This is a question we get asked sporadically. Ending child detention was such a huge campaign around 2009 and 2010. Now few people seem to pay much [...]
Could this be the end of Colnbrook and Harmondsworth detention centres? Heathrow Airport Expansion Consultation
On 18 June 2019, the government unveiled its Heathrow Airport expansion plan. It intends to build a third runway to the airport amidst concerns around its environmental impact. Buried underneath this announcement is this: a plan to build [...]
After Theresa May?
Photo by Zhifei Zhou on Unsplash Living under Theresa May’s reign as migrants was like a nightmare, and its catastrophic impact has not ended. After May’s dramatic resignation speech on 24 May, 'Hostile Environment' policies continue. And the [...]
Latest detention statistics: Stop tweaking, start reforming
Image by @Carcazan The Home Office published its latest immigration statistics last week. On the same day, the Government was held to account, again, for the harmful impact of its hostile environment policies – this time, the wrongful detention [...]
#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.
Keeping up the fight to #EndIndefiniteDetention
Groups like @FreedVoices are active in challenging #detention. "It is like a group of old men making policies about abortion. ... it is vital that experts-by-experience are involved in making changes to detention – we know what we’re talking about.”
https://t.co/P1ke5USi1F
Accompaniment as a way of challenging #Detention
From the same report, For Welfare, Not for Harm