This week Unlocking Detention has been ‘visiting’ Harmondsworth – the largest detention centre in the UK, with a capacity for 661 people, and once the ‘spiritual’ home of the now abolished Detained Fast Track. On Friday afternoon, Ben from Detention Action conducted a live Twitter Q&A with Justice, who’s been detained in Harmondsworth for two months and counting. You can recap the whole interview below:
Huge thank you to Justice, currently detained in Harmondsworth, for stepping in to do our live Q&A at the last minute! #Unlocked16 pic.twitter.com/TSSoXbIu9v
— TheDetentionForum (@DetentionForum) November 11, 2016
1st ques. comes from @ManchesterMiSol & is about the proximity of Harmondsworth to the planes pregnant w/ threat of deportation #Unlocked16 pic.twitter.com/knP6ppmVl2
— TheDetentionForum (@DetentionForum) November 11, 2016
Justice: Very close. I can hear the planes every 50 seconds. The sound, it scares me alot, believe me. You think maybe you next. #Unlocked16 https://t.co/UULfdb4XUK
— TheDetentionForum (@DetentionForum) November 11, 2016
Question for Justice detained in Harmondsworth re. the sense of solidarity within detention #Unlocked16 #MigrantJustice #BuildTrustNotWalls pic.twitter.com/o7ww7QAday
— TheDetentionForum (@DetentionForum) November 11, 2016
Justice: Yes,we are same in 1 place.We help eachother, show how rules of detention work, give cigarettes. I saw good people here #Unlocked16 https://t.co/2lsOGhCXbq
— TheDetentionForum (@DetentionForum) November 11, 2016
Another question from @ManchesterMiSol on religious freedom in Harmondsworth #Unlocked16 pic.twitter.com/EP3n9vDJIw
— TheDetentionForum (@DetentionForum) November 11, 2016
Justice: We have special rooms & I am there five times a day. Here, you are stressing so much. I am asking the God to help me. #Unlocked16 https://t.co/ACJjpND5zD
— TheDetentionForum (@DetentionForum) November 11, 2016
The singular, outstanding, most common question asked during our live Q&As…(and horrible to know the answer in advance) #Time4aTimeLimit pic.twitter.com/sq6idY61EH
— TheDetentionForum (@DetentionForum) November 11, 2016
Justice: I been here 2 months but decision is not coming. 2 months, 1 year, I don’t know. People here over a year. It scares me. #Unlocked16 https://t.co/EKt5ME1sz7
— TheDetentionForum (@DetentionForum) November 11, 2016
Detention keeps general public @ arms-length from detention but what about keeping those detained at arms length from the public #Unlocked16 pic.twitter.com/e0Loo9GN1r
— TheDetentionForum (@DetentionForum) November 11, 2016
Justice: Facebook is blocked. I think they don’t want to stop your connections. And they don’t want the complaints to go public. #Unlocked16 https://t.co/Jx0eCPpJsP
— TheDetentionForum (@DetentionForum) November 11, 2016
More questions from wonderful @ManchesterMiSol, @Right_to_Remain & @DetentionAction session – this one re. documenting detention #Unlocked16 pic.twitter.com/PYj13YGQwj
— TheDetentionForum (@DetentionForum) November 11, 2016
Justice: So many bad things in Harmondsworth. They don’t want people outside to know. They want to keep the bad proof inside. #Unlocked16 https://t.co/qtShpNhnUA
— TheDetentionForum (@DetentionForum) November 11, 2016
Question for Justice about staff treatment in Harmondsworth, something that came up in last HMIP report #Unlocked16 https://t.co/pC0We9LW1q pic.twitter.com/ju7MzybqMU
— TheDetentionForum (@DetentionForum) November 11, 2016
Justice (1/2): It depends. They have good & bad staff. Some people they not speak English and then they are shouting at them. #Unlocked16 https://t.co/0ZYkqxvsG7
— TheDetentionForum (@DetentionForum) November 11, 2016
Justice (2/2): Visitor brought me jumper. Guard said this jumper not allowed. Power is with guards, not me. And they know it. #Unlocked16 https://t.co/0ZYkqxvsG7
— TheDetentionForum (@DetentionForum) November 11, 2016
Q for Justice on how Harmondsworth has affected his health..So much evidence re. lethal mental and physical impacts of detention #Unlocked16 pic.twitter.com/mZeDIVjZWl
— TheDetentionForum (@DetentionForum) November 11, 2016
Justice 1/2: I’m suffering. Mental health, I listen the voices coming. Depression, depression…all people here have depression. #Unlocked16 https://t.co/D1KMne2elp
— TheDetentionForum (@DetentionForum) November 11, 2016
Justice 2/2: All take the medication for depression. 200, 300 people take. Because the detention centres, they make depression. #Unlocked16 https://t.co/D1KMne2elp
— TheDetentionForum (@DetentionForum) November 11, 2016
Important Q for Justice: can you imagine trying to fight your case & navigate UK asylum system on a few hours sleep a night? #Unlocked16 pic.twitter.com/bd2vKrCjvB
— TheDetentionForum (@DetentionForum) November 11, 2016
Justice: I am not sleeping. Normal is 2 hours and then I get up. 4 hours maximum. You can’t sleep here. You thinking too much. #Unlocked16 https://t.co/f82DhszQ5i
— TheDetentionForum (@DetentionForum) November 11, 2016
More questions on the physiological impact of detention – how easy is it to fight your case on an empty stomach? #Unlocked16 pic.twitter.com/o49GCiwLoJ
— TheDetentionForum (@DetentionForum) November 11, 2016
Justice: It's same food every day. I eat just little bit. I have no appetite. The stressing mean you can’t eat. You just smoke. #Unlocked16 https://t.co/3vRH7RkNEx
— TheDetentionForum (@DetentionForum) November 11, 2016
Question for Justice about healthcare in Harmondsworth #Unlocked16 pic.twitter.com/DxVKEuDaSH
— TheDetentionForum (@DetentionForum) November 11, 2016
Justice: Nurse see us like we are CRIMINAL.They shout at us. Outside, they smiling laughing and smiling. Never this happen here. #Unlocked16 https://t.co/hAk7keK6ek
— TheDetentionForum (@DetentionForum) November 11, 2016
Good question for Justice, detained in Harmondsworth re. entering detention…worth trying to imagine yourself in that situation #Unlocked16 pic.twitter.com/9yB9WZ8ljy
— TheDetentionForum (@DetentionForum) November 11, 2016
Justice: I think detention will be better than prison. Here, shower broken. Toilet broken. Harmondsworth much worse than prison. #Unlocked16 https://t.co/6Ti73l56dY
— TheDetentionForum (@DetentionForum) November 11, 2016
Question for Justice in Harmondsworth from @ManchesterMiSol & @Right_to_Remain #Unlocked16 pic.twitter.com/RBh90yHoV1
— TheDetentionForum (@DetentionForum) November 11, 2016
Justice: So many friends, they take him. For me, I am just here. But many others…and for no reason. They making more stress. #Unlocked16 https://t.co/3UfABBgpJt
— TheDetentionForum (@DetentionForum) November 11, 2016
Question for Justice, detained in Harmondsworth two months & counting, about the day-to-day social reality of life in detention #Unlocked16 pic.twitter.com/rySHOevxJT
— TheDetentionForum (@DetentionForum) November 11, 2016
Justice: Yes, it makes big difference. We talk our problems. It is important. We help eachother. Good mates, we need eachother. #Unlocked16 https://t.co/v3ranSvezf
— TheDetentionForum (@DetentionForum) November 11, 2016
Question for Justice, detained in Harmondsworth, about media representation of detention #Unlocked16 pic.twitter.com/6GYzUDzULG
— TheDetentionForum (@DetentionForum) November 11, 2016
Justice: I didn’t read about detention in the newspapers and this is the problem! But if they say it is good, they are lying! #Unlocked16 https://t.co/0i0fdU680p
— TheDetentionForum (@DetentionForum) November 11, 2016
Q re. public engagement in detention (although think the tide is changing, more people engaged in fighting detention than ever) #Unlocked16 pic.twitter.com/hAPajSdkCa
— TheDetentionForum (@DetentionForum) November 11, 2016
Justice: The real image is kept inside. That’s why they shut Facebook. They want to keep the real detention away from the public #Unlocked16 https://t.co/lJiT7pLGp9
— TheDetentionForum (@DetentionForum) November 11, 2016
Unfortunately, we're going to have to cut our Q&A w/ Justice early as his phone has died. Apologies if your Q wasn't answered! #Unlocked16
— TheDetentionForum (@DetentionForum) November 11, 2016
Another reminder (if we needed one) that communicating with those in detention is fraught with complications. #Unlocked16 https://t.co/rsAUSjoia1
— TheDetentionForum (@DetentionForum) November 11, 2016
Still, huge thanks as ever to Justice for speaking out, especially now, today, when solidarity w/ migrants is absolutely vital. #Unlocked16 pic.twitter.com/EJBJcVWRmM
— TheDetentionForum (@DetentionForum) November 11, 2016