Gatwick immigration removal centre getting less safe for detainees, says watchdog

Violence has increased and reports have emerged of misconduct by staff and ‘hardening of conditions’, monitoring board finds

Safety has deteriorated and violence has increased at one of the UK’s largest immigration detention centres, with failings that were identified in a public inquiry almost a year ago still not addressed, according to a report.

The findings are published in the annual report by the independent monitoring board for the Gatwick immigration removal centre.

Assaults nearly tripled last year, with 146 assaults on staff compared with 55 in 2022, and 82 assaults between detainees compared with 33 in 2022.

Use of force more than doubled.

Handcuffing of detainees for hospital and other external visits jumped from 30% to 100%.

There were “some indications” that some staff were involved in the supply of drugs to detainees.

Home Office staff from the detention engagement team felt “reticent” about moving around the centre. According to the report, “the concerns appear to be related to their personal safety”.

Twelve complaints of serious misconduct by staff escalated to the Home Office’s professional standards unit for investigation.

There was bedding so old that it had “yellowed with age”.

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