Detention centre ‘unsafe’
A deportation “removal” centre for asylum-seekers is “unsafe” for both detainees and staff, according to the Chief Inspector of Prisons.
In her report published today, Anne Owers questioned the apparent anarchy at Harmondsworth removal centre near Heathrow.
Ms Owers noted the growing number of attacks at the 550-bed centre. She has called for an investigation into the assault claims.
There are reports that arson is a continuing problem.
Ms Owers said: “This was clearly a frightening and potentially dangerous situation for other detainees, and although staff responded swiftly and competently to individual incidents, the centre as a whole was not well-equipped to ensure detainees’ protection.”
Harmondsworth holds those deemed by the Immigration Service to have overstayed their welcome in the UK, as well illegal immigrants or those travellers who failed the test of asylum.
The report raises the problem of the apparently unmanageable scale of claims at the centre. The centre, ideally suited to process 3,000 people a year, actually handles 12,000, including families with children.
On the number of children, held there, Ms Owers said: “Given the inherent insecurity of the centre as a whole, we remain of the view that, as in other centres in England, children should only exceptionally be detained in Harmondsworth, and not for any period longer than seven days.”
“Low staffing levels and the physical environment make Harmondsworth essentially an unsafe place for both staff and detainees.”
