Home Affairs Committee report: Immigration detention

‘Detaining an individual for reasons of immigration control is a deprivation of that person’s liberty’ says the March 2019 report (pdf) from the Home Affairs Committee.

This report details their key concerns with the current UK immigration detention system, specifically the treatment of vulnerable people in detention.

The report recommends:

  • Bringing an end to indefinite immigration detention and implementing a maximum 28-day time limit. This time limit should be cumulative and accompanied by a robust series of regular checks and safeguards
  • Stronger judicial oversight by subjecting the initial detention decision to a review by a judge within 72 hours. This would be in line with other areas of UK law, for example in the UK criminal justice system, where an upper limit for detention without charge exists
  • Urging the Government to undertake a consultation on how immigration detention time limit maximums could be applied to different types of detainees, such as vulnerable individuals
  • Requiring caseworkers involved in the decision to detain an individual in all cases to meet that individual at least once, in person, prior to finalising the detention decision or/and within one week of their detention.

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