Unlocking Detention shone a spotlight on the hidden world of immigration detention. This ‘virtual tour’ of the immigration detention estate used Twitter, Facebook and a website to ‘unlock’ the gates of immigration detention centres.
Each week, Unlocking Detention ‘visited’ one of the UK’s detention centres. We heard from people who had been detained there, volunteer visitors, NGOs, campaigners and the families, friends, neighbours and communities over whom detention cast its long shadows.
We started Unlocking Detention back in 2014 and it ran for 6 years. While we no longer run this campaign with its dedicated website, it has left a powerful legacy of the impact of immigration detention. We have archived the key information, and we are now proud to continue to make it accessible via our website.
How did Unlocking Detention start?
Welcome back to the Unlocking Detention tour. This year’s hashtag is #unlocked15, and we look forward to making new friends and opening more people’s eyes to the reality of immigration [...]
The deserving detainee?
This International Migrants' Day post was written for Unlocking Detention by Melanie Griffiths. Melanie is an ESRC Future Leaders Fellow at the University of Bristol. Her project, entitled Detention, Deportability [...]
Detention knows no borders
This piece by Eiri Ohtani was first published on openDemocracy on 15 December 2014, as part of the Unlocking Detention series. The first ever parliamentary inquiry into immigration detention in [...]
Immigration Detention and the Scottish Referendum
This post was written by Detention Forum Scotland, in response to the Detention Forum's question of 'what are your hopes for the detention inquiry in light of the 'NO' vote [...]
Like a chicken surrounded by dogs
By Kate Alexander, coordinator of Scottish Detainee Visitors (a member of the Detention Forum). This article originally appeared in Open Democracy's Unlocked series. Scotland may have a different relationship with [...]
Colnbrook, in conversation
Joe is an asylum-seeker from East Africa. He has been in Colnbrook IRC for four months. In this interview for the 'Unlocking Detention' twitter-tour, he talks to Detention Action's Ben [...]
Life after detention
This piece by Saskia Garner was first published by openDemocracy on 1st December 2014. Saskia works at Refugee Action as Policy Manager. The adverse effects of being detained in an [...]
No end to the horrors of detention
This piece by Ben du Preez was first published by openDemocracy on 1st December 2014. Ben works at Detention Action and is a member of the Detention Forum Communications Working [...]
Working with women in Colnbrook
Detention Action’s Shashika Heiyantuduwa describes their work with women in Colnbrook detention centre. This piece was originally published on the Detention Action website on 12 August 2012. Detention Action is [...]
The real cost of detaining migrants
This piece by Nic Eadie was first published by openDemocracy on 24 November 2014. Nic is Director of Gatwick Detainee Welfare Group. Several years after being rushed out of Tinsley [...]
“Am I a HUMAN BEING? I ran from my country to save my life”
By Lisa Matthews of Right to Remain. Right to Remain is a member organisation of the Detention Forum. Marie Therese, a survivor of ritualised torture in Cameroon, campaigned for justice in [...]
Extraordinary things: Visiting the women at Yarl’s Wood detention centre
This piece was first published by openDemocracy on 18 November 2014. Heather Jones is the Co-ordinator of Yarls Wood Befriends. Eiri Ohtani is the Co-ordinator of the Detention Forum. Next door [...]