The Detention Forum was proud to add its name to the recent joint letter co-ordinated by AVID expressing our opposition to the proposed re-opening of the detention centres at Haslar in Hampshire and Campsfield in Oxfordshire.
The signatories of this letter urged the government to abandon their plans.
The joint statement, signed by a wide range of organisations and individuals, also outlines several urgent demands:
1 Reduce the Detention Estate: Immediately reduce detention facilities and cessation of using detention for administrative purposes, especially for vulnerable individuals.
2 Act on Brook House Inquiry Findings: Implement all recommendations from the Brook House Inquiry to address and prevent systemic abuse.
3 Uphold the Values of Fairness and Humanity: Align immigration policies with principles of fairness, humanity, openness, diversity and inclusion, as recommended by the Windrush review
4 Prioritise Community-Based Alternatives: Shift resources to support systems that provide humane, effective solutions without resorting to detention.
5 Incorporate Lived Experience: Ensure that future policy decisions are guided by the voices of those who have experienced detention first-hand.
