70% Increase in Number of Immigration Detainees Held in Prison Post-Lockdown

London: Hundreds of foreign nationals are being held in prison in solitary confinement under immigration powers locked in cells for up to 24 hours a day, according to a new report which reveals a massive spike in the number of detainees being held in jails. The charities Bail for Immigration Detainees (BID) and Medical Justice argue that ‘profound and avoidable harm’ is being caused to their health of hundreds and that their conditions amount to prolonged solitary confinement in  breach of their human rights as well as the UN ‘Nelson Mandela Rules’ for the treatment of prisoners. Immigration detention is not a criminal process however people can be detained in prisons or detention centres. The most recent statistics from the Home Office ending March 2021 reveal that there were 577 immigration detainees held in prisons – a 70% increase from March 2019. To put this into context, there were 1,637 people detained under Immigration Act powers at the end of December 2019 which included 359 people detained in prisons.

Read more: Elliot Tyler, Justice Gap, https://is.gd/T9S6Fd