Prison
Cat STHF
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Scotland and Northern Ireland Short-Term Holding Facilities (STHF)
IMB Annual Report 2023 · Published 24 October 2023
The Scotland and Northern Ireland STHF IMB report highlights generally humane treatment by staff but identifies significant concerns across multiple facilities for the period February 2022 to January 2023. Key issues include the unsafe removal of prescription medication, inadequate disability provisions, and the unsuitability of airport holding rooms for increasingly prolonged detentions. The Board also notes long-overdue building alterations at Larne House and ventilation issues across the estate, urging urgent action from the Home Office and facility managers.
Positive Findings
The Board noted the general cleanliness and good decoration of facilities like Larne House and Aberdeen. There has been an improvement in the diligent completion of risk sections on IS91 forms and DCOs and UKBF staff are observed to treat detained people humanely, efficiently conducting inductions and training in vulnerability identification. The Board also welcomed the introduction of Samsung translation devices and acknowledges that some issues from previous reports have been successfully resolved. They are generally satisfied that detainees are treated equally, caring, and fairly.
Key Concerns
Healthcare
Repeated
Medication being removed from detained people without a satisfactory regime for administration, posing serious health risks.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
The lack of adequate provision for people with disabilities across the immigration detention estate, including unsuitable facilities (e.g., inaccessible toilets for wheelchair users, missing elevator sections) and the absence of showering facilities in several airport holding rooms, particularly problematic for detainees held overnight. Planned building alterations at Larne House RSTHF to provide separate, dignified facilities for women have not been implemented and bedrooms remain basic and uncomfortable.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
The increasing length of detention, sometimes exceeding eight hours or overnight, in airport holding rooms that are not equipped or suitable for prolonged stays, compounded by inadequate ventilation systems across all facilities.
Safety
Holding rooms are in a number of cases not suitable for their intended purpose, with Prestwick Airport's facility being totally unsuitable, leading to detainees being held unattended in the Controlled Waiting Area and monitored remotely, impairing safety and security due to delayed emergency response times.
Resettlement/Release
Long taxi journeys late at night as detained persons are moved to other locations within the detention estate, and concerns about the methodology of late night transfers to establishments south of the border.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Staffing varies by facility, with Drumkeen and Festival Court typically staffed by two DCOs during operational hours, while Larne House has 22 DCOs and managers on a rotating shift. Prestwick Airport experiences very limited UKBF officer resources, impacting direct monitoring and requiring support from other airports. DCOs also undertake escort duties from holding rooms to aircraft.
Healthcare
Larne House RSTHF benefits from a 24/7 qualified nurse and full medical assessment on arrival. In contrast, airport holding rooms and reporting centres only provide basic health checks and rely on first aiders or emergency services for immediate medical needs. A significant concern is the ongoing issue of personal prescription medications being removed from detainees upon entry, with no satisfactory regime in place to ensure timely administration, posing serious health risks.
Regime & Daily Life
The various STHFs offer differing regimes due to their nature. Larne House, as the residential facility, provides freedom of movement, a recreation room, and an outdoor area for exercise. However, airport holding rooms and reporting centres are designed for short-term stays, often lacking natural light, fresh air, and basic hygiene facilities like showers. Concerns are raised about the increasing length of detention, sometimes exceeding eight hours or overnight stays, in these unsuitable airport facilities, impacting detainee dignity and welfare.
Recommendations (11)
Other: 6
Home Office: 5
10 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The Minister is urged to request that the Home Office carry out an urgent assessment of the risks to detained people as a result of the removal of their prescription medications. These risks should then be taken into account when designing a practical strategy for ensuring that detained people receive their appropriate medication. The desired outcome would be that the health and wellbeing needs of all detained people are met.
Other
(minister)
Healthcare
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Firstly, the Minister is urged to review the decision to increase the maximum length of stay to eight hours.
Other
(minister)
Regime
Recommendation 3
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Secondly, we would ask that the Home Office identify and address the reasons for the considerable increase, compared to previous years, in numbers of people being detained in the Glasgow and Edinburgh airports HRs for more than eight hours. The desired outcome, for both recommendations, would be that detained people experience a more humane experience during their stay in a STHF.
Home Office
Regime
Recommendation 4
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
We suggest, in the light of the delays and the requirement to provide facilities compliant with disability access requirements, that the Minister reconsiders the decision to partially accept our recommendation for a HR in Terminal 2, and to now fully commit to the recommendation. The desired outcome would be that the delays in people being transferred from the control desk to the HR would be reduced and the facility would comply with disability access requirements. Hygiene facilities such as showers could be incorporated in the new HR, thus providing for the fair and humane treatment of all detained people.
Other
(minister)
Estate
Recommendation 5
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
We would recommend a review with consideration being given to standardisation of the translation devices across all of the facilities.
Home Office
Equality
Recommendation 6
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
That the appraisal of the ventilation arrangements at all facilities is undertaken as a matter of urgency.
Home Office
Safety
Recommendation 7
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
We recommend that the CCTV monitoring of the HR be brought to an end and that the adjacent office section be manned when persons are detained within the HR. Also, we requested, in our previous annual report that the missing section of elevator, which had been removed and stored elsewhere in the terminal, be also brought back into service. The desired outcomes of these recommendations would be that detained persons, including those with disabilities, would be detained within a safe and secure facility, appropriate to their needs.
Home Office
Safety
Recommendation 8
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
We recommend that the HR be brought up to basic requirements by UKBF installing portable secure Wi-Fi and connecting a CCTV system to it. We understand that a section of elevator had been removed and stored elsewhere in the terminal. It could be brought back into service. The desired outcome would be that any individual detained is held within a safe and secure facility, appropriate to their needs.
Home Office
Estate
Recommendation 9
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The Board wishes to see target dates for the implementation and completion of work to provide safe and private facilities for women in Larne House RSTHF, as well as the upgrading of all bedrooms Larne House in line with the trail, re-equipped room.
Other
(other)
Estate
Recommendation 10
That an assessment is carried out to establish if the facilities are fit for purpose at Dumkeen House.
Other
(other)
Estate
Recommendation 11
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The decor and general furnishing at Edinburgh airport HRs are in real need of redecoration. We understand that this work is being looked at for implementation. We are also waiting the installation of a flight monitor and the replacement of the old TV sets in the two holding rooms.
Other
(other)
Estate