We were very disappointed, when we were alerted by one of our members recently, about a proposed new detention centre in the North East. The Northern Echo reported that Government plans to scrap a residential development in favour of creating an immigration detention centre on the site of a notorious facility have been described as “madness”.
Durham county councillors are demanding answers after Ministry of Justice plans emerged, proposing to turn the former Hassockfield Detention Centre, in Medomsley, into a Category 3-style prison to detain around 80 people who have had applications for UK residency denied.
This is a very worrying development, especially after the closures of detention centres in recent years. We will be watching developments closely and will be keen to add our campaigning energy against these plans.
