Home Office holding torture victims with 'high level' mental health needs in detention, finds watchdog

Inspectorate says Home Office must 'think again' to improve conditions in Harmondsworth IRC after finding vulnerable torture victims being held in dirty, prison-like conditions

Harmondsworth immigration removal centre (IRC) at Heathrow holds large numbers of men with mental health problems in prison-like conditions, and continues to show “considerable failings” in safety and respect for detainees, prison inspectors warn (Getty)

The Home Office is holding torture victims with high levels of mental health need in immigration detention in breach of the law, the prisons watchdog has found.

Harmondsworth immigration removal centre (IRC) at Heathrow holds large numbers of men with mental health problems in prison-like conditions, and continues to show “considerable failings” in safety and respect for detainees, according to prison inspectors.

The report states that in nearly all of a sample of cases, the Home Office accepted evidence that detainees had been tortured, but maintained detention regardless, with “insufficient” attention given to post-traumatic stress and other mental health problems.

It comes months after the High Court declared the Government's policy on torture victims is unlawful, ruling that individuals had been wrongly locked up during their asylum claims despite doctors submitting evidence of torture and ill-treatment to the Home Office.

HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Peter Clarke said there was a "very high level" of mental health need and that nearly a third of residents were considered by the Home Office to be vulnerable under its Adults at Risk policy.

Mr Clarke said the continuing lack of a time limit on detention meant that some men had been held for excessively long periods, with 23 detained for over a year and one man who had been held for over 4 and a half years, which he decribed as “unacceptable”.

Inspectors also said bedbugs were "endemic" in the centre, despite the fact that an inspectorate report in 2016 raised serious concerns about the issue. The latest report found there were also infestations of mice in some areas, and many areas of the centre were dirty and bedrooms, showers and toilets were poorly ventilated.

The report also raised concerns that only 29 per cent of detainees said they could fill their time while in the centre and many described “a sense of purposelessness and boredom.”

Overall, Mr Clarke said: “The centre had failed to progress significantly since our last visit in 2015. For the third consecutive inspection, we found considerable failings in the areas of safety and respect.

"Detainees, many identified as vulnerable, were not being adequately safeguarded. Some were held for unacceptably long periods.

"Mental health needs were often not met. Detainees were subject to some disproportionate security restrictions and living conditions were below decent standards. It is time for the Home Office and contractors to think again about how to ensure that more substantial progress is made.”

Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott MP, who recently visited women’s immigration detention centre Yarl’s Wood and commented on poor conditions there, said: “The Government claims there is no indefinite immigration detention but holding people for years on end without a release date amounts to exactly that.

“This treatment is inhumane, with conditions described as 'prison-like' by the Inspectorate. The immigration detention system is clearly broken and Labour in government will address this chaos."

A Home Office spokesperson said: “Detention and removal of those with no lawful basis to stay in the UK are essential parts of effective immigration controls. When people are detained, it is for the minimum time possible and detention is reviewed on a regular basis.

“The detainee’s welfare remains of the utmost importance throughout. We are pleased that the inspector noted a number of positive areas of work such as welfare services, faith provision, generally adequate health care provision and positive engagement with third sector groups who support detainees.

“However, elements of this report make for difficult reading and we are committed to a programme of transformation. This has already included appointing a consultant psychiatrist and safer community manager who are both now in post."

The spokesperson added that since the inspection, units had also been deep cleaned and refurbished, and that there were now weekly drop-in sessions for detainees to raise any concerns around health care.