Heathrow immigration removal centre

The centre is less safe than previous years, with increasing fights, assaults on staff, and frequent lockdowns. There is an increase in throwovers, illicit drugs, vapes and phones.

People who are mentally unfit for detention are still assessed and approved for detention, exacerbated by Operation Safeguard bringing more Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) who contribute to increased violence.

Failings of the Detention Engagement Team (DET) to engage effectively contribute to frustration and powerlessness, potentially leading to self-harm incidents.

The dilapidated infrastructure, frequent loss of services (power, gas, water, communications), and lack of significant investment severely test the fairness and humanity of treatment.

Concerns about the variety, quantity, and quality of food on offer, impacting physical and mental well-being, as well as safety and security.

The Care and Separation Unit (CSU) is being misused, including for facilitating removal directions days in advance of cancelled flights, housing individuals who refuse to share rooms, and for mentally ill detained people, contrary to Detention Centre Rules.

Complaints regarding contracted services are not believed to be properly investigated, leading to a lack of trust in the system, with 77% of complaints unsubstantiated.

Staff shortages and lack of escorts result in cancelled hospital appointments and worse health outcomes for detainees.

Too many detained people are held for unacceptably long periods without the prospect of imminent removal, including those held for over 200 days.

Delays in finding suitable accommodation for those granted bail, particularly for time-served foreign national offenders (TSFNOs), due to inconsistent communication between Home Office, Probation, and local authorities.

Significant increase in throwovers (44 in 2023 vs zero in 2022) containing drugs and contraband, indicating a breach in security.

Lack of progress on crucial investment in infrastructure, especially heating and ventilation systems, despite previous recommendations and a delayed new contract.

Rule 35 reports are not responded to within the mandated two working days, causing Adults at Risk to remain detained when they should be released.

Prolonged detention of mentally ill individuals in the CSU, contrary to rules, exacerbates anxiety and poor mental health, with no appropriate alternative mental health pathway.

Recommendation 3

The Home Office has a duty of care for those with mental health problems and to ensure that they are safe in the community they are released into. Robust support is required for detained people with mental health people who are released on bail.

Ministry of Justice Mental Health

Recommendation 3

The Board has many concerns regarding the application of Detention Centre Rule 35. There is an issue surrounding adherence to Home Office deadlines for responding to Rule 35 reports. After accepting receipt, responses to Rule 35 reports should be provided by the Home Office within two working days, and the response must be copied to the detained person’s legal representative. All reports are reviewed, and the appropriateness of the individual’s detention considered. A responsible officer must take prompt action to release the individual, if appropriate. Many of the Rule 35 reports are not responded to within the timeline of two working days and as a result, many adults at risks remained detained when they should have been released. This is an unacceptable practice. Priority must be given to those identified as an Adult at Risk and timelines regarding Rule 35 adhered to.

Ministry of Justice Healthcare

Recommendation 3

The Board consider Rules 40 and 42 are being misused. There were several instances in 2023 where Rule 40 and 42 have been used for prolonged situations. It is imperative that Rules 40 and 42 are used for the shortest possible time and as a means of last resort. It should not be used to hold mentally ill detained people or for those who refuse to share a room. CSU is not the solution to these problems. An alternative mental health pathway needs to be established to care for people experiencing mental health problems in detention. The IMB have observed prolonged detention in CSU to increase anxiety and the poor mental health of detained people, many of whom are already suffering from trauma.

Ministry of Justice Segregation

Recommendation 3

More work is required to consider different ways of dealing with those who have mental health problems. There should be an increase in external mental health beds for people in detention who display increased or increasing levels of mental health problems. A clear mental health pathway should be made available to those with mental health difficulties, the detention centre is not an appropriate place and more collaboration to work with the NHS to provide the necessary mental health services and pathways to deal with these complex medical needs.

Ministry of Justice Mental Health

Recommendation 3

Funding should be in place to increase the security at the IRC to prevent the increasing levels of throw overs on the Colnbrook Site of the Heathrow Estate.

Ministry of Justice Safety

Recommendation 3

Increase the work between the Home Office, the Ministry of Justice and HMPPS to enable additional resources and funding in prisons to enable a seamless process prior to TSFNOs being transferred to detention.

Ministry of Justice Resettlement

Recommendation 3

The Board is very concerned about the deterioration in the mental health of many detained people and too many detained people are resorting to self-harm. It is imperative that appropriate support, care, and mental health services are promptly provided to individuals grappling with mental health vulnerabilities.

Home Office Mental Health

Recommendation 3

There are many people detained at HIRC who have been identified as Adults at Risk (AAR) Level 3 and who have been in the detention centre for more than 80 days. These individuals should be released from Heathrow IRC as soon possible.

Home Office Safeguarding

Recommendation 3

People with severe mental health problems should not be detained in the CSU for extended periods of time. Detained individuals with severe mental health issues should be treated in a mental health setting external to the Heathrow Detention Centre. The Home Office should reduce the use of CSU for those who do not wish to share a room with another person.

Home Office Mental Health

Recommendation 3

The increased number of TSFNOs detained at Heathrow IRCs has led to a change in the demographic’s population. This has led to increasing levels of assaults, verbal abuse, and racial abuse from detained people. It is important that a violence reduction policy is put in place to protect everyone in the Detention Centre.

Home Office Safety

Recommendation 3

The Home Office should improve the time scales for those that wish to return to their home country voluntarily. Any Delays to voluntary returns can acerbates anxiety and mental health issues for detained people.

Home Office Resettlement

Recommendation 3

The Home Office should improve communication with HMPPS to ensure that all the necessary immigration paperwork is correct and complete prior to arrival in immigration detention. This will help prevent any delays for their return and reduce the amount of time spent in Heathrow IRC. TSFNOs who wish to return voluntarily to their home country have experienced many delays because the wrong paperwork has been submitted, paperwork has been lost, or there have been delays in securing travel documents (ETD) and decisions relating to further criminal charges and missed flights. TSFNOs should only be transferred to the Heathrow Detention Centre if there are no barriers to return to enable a swift and seamless return to home countries.

Home Office Resettlement

Recommendation 3

The Home Office should strive to improve the communication between all the teams working within the Immigration centre/service, this includes the Probation Team, DET and the Courts.

Home Office Resettlement

Recommendation 3 Repeated Prev. unaddressed

The infrastructure at Heathrow IRC needs crucial investment, this includes heating, ventilation, electrical infrastructure, IT infrastructure and replacement of the core lift in Harmondsworth. It is very important to improve the living conditions of detained people. We urge the minister to fund improvement to the Heathrow IRC estate.

Home Office Estate

Recommendation 3 Repeated Prev. unaddressed

The IMB would support broader use of the Colnbrook Care Suite for short term respite, particularly for detained people with deteriorating mental health conditions. We also urge the Contractor to replicate the Colnbrook Care Suite facility in Harmondsworth.

Governor / Director Mental Health

Recommendation 3

It is our view that improvements need to be made to the security of the Heathrow Estate. The contractor should work to reduce the number of throwovers and reduce the number of illicit drugs that enter Heathrow IRC. Addressing this issue should involve implementing stricter security protocol or enhancing surveillance and inspection procedures. The contractor should record/document the number of illicit drugs that enter the centre correctly, i.e. weighed, counted and documented.

Governor / Director Safety

Recommendation 3

The contractor should make every effort to reduce smoking in the units, as this could lead to fires. People in detention should be challenged about smoking inside the wings.

Governor / Director Safety

Recommendation 3

The contractor should offer meaningful activities during the day and evening to elevate levels of boredom. Practical activities would be welcomed that will enable people to gain meaning full/ Part-time employment when they reach their home countries or are released into the local community.

Governor / Director Purposeful Activity

Recommendation 3 Repeated Prev. unaddressed

Ventilation systems within the Heathrow IRC needs a thorough overhaul as some wings are extremely hot or cold. There appears to be little that can be done to regulate the temperature.

Governor / Director Estate

Recommendation 3

The Board found feedback from the healthcare team to the weekly questions and concerns set out in the IMB Rota visit report to be untimely and we encourage this to be improved.

NHS / Healthcare Provider Healthcare

Recommendation 3

Wait times for Rule 35 assessments vary and in some cases the wait time for an assessment is more than 14 days. This should be improved given the increasing number of people in detention that are considered an Adult at Risk.

NHS / Healthcare Provider Healthcare

Recommendation 3 Repeated Prev. unaddressed

The numbers of people experiencing mental health issues are increasing at Heathrow IRC. It is important that external mental health beds in the community are made available to detained people who present with a severe mental condition, that cannot be managed within Heathrow IRC.

NHS / Healthcare Provider Mental Health