Doctors Tell Home Office to Scrap Immigration Removal Centres

The British Medical Association is calling for immigration removal centres (IRCs) to be phased out and replaced with a more humane system of community monitoring because of concerns about the serious impact on the health of detainees. The report, published on Monday, calls for sweeping changes to the way IRCs are run because of a range of concerns about issues including restraint, segregation, PTSD and the management of complex health conditions. BMA chiefs say a “fundamental rethink” is required by the Home Office. While human rights campaigners have expressed concerns about immigration detention conditions for many years, it is the first time that the doctors’ union has made such a strong call. The BMA says it has published this report because of its growing concern about health and human rights in detention settings.

Read more: Diane Taylor, Guardian, http://bit.ly/2jKRDbm