‘I’m frightened’: the asylum seekers rounded up to be

Asylum seekers from Sudan, Eritrea and Afghanistan detained in government’s Operation Vector share their stories

When Helen arrived at Yarl’s Wood immigration removal centre, she was taken to her cell and handed some cleaning spray and wipes and told to use them before making up her bed. She had no idea why she had been arrested when she went to report.

“They told me I had been detained for Rwanda and tried to convince us to go voluntarily saying it is now the law and we have already been selected. But they didn’t explain to me why I had been chosen.”