Below is a summary of media coverage that Medical Justice contributed to in the run-up to the recent publication of the report by the Brook House Public Inquiry which revealed the dangerous use of force, a wholesale failure of safeguards and a culture of dehumanisation leading to 19 instances of inhuman or degrading treatment at Brook House
Revealed: ‘Mass suicide attempt’ at immigration centre after detainee death
13/09/2023 | Open Democracy
An “attempted mass suicide” took place at Harmondsworth immigration removal centre during a protest days after a Frank Ospina died in Colnbrook IRC in March, according to internal documents obtained by Medical Justice and Liberty Investigates. There were a total of 24 self-harm incidents in March 2023, more than the previous three months combined yet official figures show not a single medical report flagging detainees at risk of suicide was issued at Colnbrook or Harmondsworth between January and March 2023.
BBC Radio 4 – Today Programme
14/09/2023 | BBC
The BBC speaks to the family of Frank Ospina who says he begged for help and was willing to the leave the UK.
BBC News
14/09/2023 | BBC
UK Immigration Detention Centre Deaths. Rachel Bingham Interviewed with BBC piece about the Inquiry’s report coming up, an interview with Frank Ospina’s family, an interview of Dr Rachel Bingham (Clinical Advisor at Medical Justice) about the way detained people are treated is making poor mental health worse, a Medical Justice audit of 66 recent cases showing that failures continue to put vulnerable detained people at risk, and an interview with Mr ASM who was mistreated in detention and targeted for the Rwanda flight.
BBC News
14/09/2023 | BBC
BBC interviews Theresa Schleicher, Medical Justice Casework Manager, about how clinical safeguards are mean to identify vulnerabilities but often fail to do so and how detention conditions are harmful.
Colombian migrant begged to be sent home – but died in UK detention
14/09/2023 | BBC
The family of a Colombian man who is believed to have killed himself at a Heathrow immigration removal centre say he begged for help and was willing to leave the UK.
Home Office still hasn’t followed 2019 advice on preventing detainee deaths
14/09/2023 | Open Democracy
Safety measures were recommended following two suicide attempts at Heathrow detention centre four years ago.
BBC News
19/09/2023 | BBC
Interview of Emma Ginn (Director of Medical Justice) refuting government claims that detention conditions have improved, that there are continuing serious failures, Medical Justice evidence of recent failures, that an apology should be issued to people who were harmed in detention and that it should be coupled with the necessary changes to ensure no one is harmed or injured again.
Detainees at immigration centre subjected to inhumane treatment, says inquiry
19/09/2023 | Channel 4
The first public inquiry into abuses at an immigration detention centre in the UK found a ‘toxic culture’ – where detainees were subjected to inhumane and degrading treatment, ‘explicit racism’ and frequent misuse of force.
The piece includes interviews with Pius who was detained, Callum Tulley who filmed undercover inside Brook House IRC, Dr Rachel Bingham from Medical Justice, a former detained client of Medical Justice, and a lengthy studio interview with Kate Eves who was the Chair of the Brook House Inquiry.
Physical and verbal abuse found in Brook House immigration removal centre inquiry
19/09/2023 | The Guardian
Report identifies ‘toxic culture’ and potential breaches of human rights law relating to torture and inhuman treatment
ITV News
19/09/2023 | ITV News
ITV News interviews our client who had been detained for removal to Rwanda.
UK should only hold immigrants in detention centres for 28 days, inquiry says
19/09/2023 | Reuters
Britain should only hold people in immigration detention for a maximum of 28 days, a public inquiry concluded on Tuesday, after finding some detainees had been subjected to inhumane treatment, including the use of force or dangerous methods of restraint.
Guards at UK detention centre choked, abused and forced migrants naked from cells
19/09/2023 | Independent
Migrants were taken from their cells naked and dangerous restraint techniques used, the inquiry found.
Brook House: racist, violent and dangerous
20/09/2023 | Free Movement
Staff working at Brook House immigration removal centre were verbally and physically abusive towards the people who were detained, including the use of extremely racist language.
Guards at Brook House detention centre choked, abused and forced migrants naked from cells, report finds
20/09/2023 | US Times Post
A shocking investigation found that officers at a UK detention center suffocated, abused migrants and forced them to leave their cells naked in a “toxic culture” where detainees were abused in “prison-like” conditions.
Home Office safeguards ‘still failing’ vulnerable refugees in detention centres
23/09/2023 | Mirror
It comes after a damning report found 19 incidents of the mistreatment of detainees at Brook House immigration removal centre in 2017.
