Following the 2024 general election, more than half of all MPs are newly elected – 335 in total. Many are unfamiliar with the reality of the UK’s immigration detention system, the devastating impacts it can have on those subjected to it, and the urgent need for fundamental change.
To address this Medical Justice has jointly published a series of short briefings on detention, produced in collaboration with Detention Action, Bail for Immigration Detainees (BID) and the Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association (ILPA).
The briefings provide an introduction to the key facts and concerns about detention, as well making a number of recommendations for change. They are aimed at new MPs, but can be used by others too.
The need for action on detention is more urgent than ever. The 2023 Brook House Inquiry report into the abuse of detained people found near-routine levels of inhuman and degrading treatment; since then, the Independent Monitoring Board at Brook House has found that the IRC has become even less safe, while HM Inspectorate of Prisons has reported finding the worst detention conditions ever seen in the UK at Harmondsworth IRC. Yet disturbingly, the new Labour government has announced plans to expand detention and increase removals, whilst also allowing key safeguarding mechanisms for vulnerable detained people to be weakened.
If you have time, please do consider emailing the briefings to your MP. Doing so will help make MPs aware that their constituents are concerned by detention and want to see them taking urgent action to address the harm it causes.
Don’t know your MP and/or their email address? Enter your postcode here to find them
You can download the briefings below, as a full set or separately.
Briefings on UK immigration detention – full set
Briefing 1: What is detention?
Briefing 3: Harm caused by detention / safeguarding failures
