Migrants pepper-sprayed at UK detention centre amid ‘concerning’ violence and protests, damning report reveals
A damning inspection report reveals migrants were pepper-sprayed at a UK immigration detention center amid rising violence and unrest.
Investigators at the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) found an increase in incidents at the scandal-hit Brook House center from four in 2023 to 28 in 2024, along with an increase in illegal drug use and attacks on staff and other detainees.
These included many large-scale protests involving 25 to 40 people, and many men climbing into anti-suicide networks in frustration at the slow progress of their cases.
The IMB, which oversees prisons and immigration detention, said in at least a dozen cases incidents were so serious that the National Tactical Response Group, a specialist prison team trained to respond to serious incidents, had to be called. Additionally, in two incidents, PAVA spray, a type of synthetic pepper spray, was used on detainees.
Migrants are taken to Brook House or Tinsley House in Gatwick, two centers run by Home Office contractor Serco that can house 588 men, before being deported. But the majority of men held there (60 percent) are released back into society rather than being deported.
An investigation was launched into Brook House management after an undercover Panorama investigation in 2017 revealed shocking scenes of abuse against detainees.
In a report published on Thursday, investigators criticized the Home Office for holding detainees destined for Rwanda under the former Tory government’s plan for an “unacceptable” period after it became clear the flights would not take place. Some were detained for a month after Rishi Sunak called a general election, despite the then prime minister admitting no flights would take off.
Home Office staff described the men detained as part of the Rwanda plan as “shocked and bewildered”. Many were publicly arrested in their homes and handcuffed away, while others had their front doors broken into.
Inspectors said the level of violence between men and staff at Gatwick was “very concerning”, particularly in the Brook House area.
In 2024, there were 74 incidents of assault among prisoners at Brook House and 86 across all areas of Gatwick. This was slightly higher than in 2023, but increased significantly from the 22 events recorded in 2022.
There has also been an increase in the number of attacks on staff; The number of attacks increased from 146 to 180 in 2023.
The use of force also increased in 2024, with the number of incidents rising from 599 the previous year to 785. These were both much higher than pre-2023 levels.
The report also noted an increase in spice and THC, the psychoactive compound found in marijuana, in detention centers. Detainees said they felt unsafe partly because of the use of illegal drugs on the sites, which made people’s behavior unpredictable.
Investigators warned that men with severe mental and physical vulnerabilities were being detained and held there for long periods of time. Five men held at Brook House in 2024 had such serious mental health problems that they were sentenced under the Mental Health Act.
In one shocking example, a 68-year-old man with dementia and limited mobility was detained at Brook House. He was kept there for at least nine months after professionals failed to raise concerns about his condition.
Another man, who arrived in June 2023, was held at Brook House for more than 400 days despite multiple acts of self-harm and despite authorities knowing his mental health was deteriorating in custody.
By June 2024, he was spending days in the dark in his room, refusing medications and only eating when food was brought to him. After his release, it took several weeks of preparation before he could finally re-enter the outside world.
In another incident, a young man was detained at Tinsley House even though he said he was 16 years old. His family was able to produce documentation showing he was 16 and he was released two days later, but investigators said they were extremely concerned that the teenager would be sent to an adult detention center.
In 2024, 2,165 men will leave Gatwick detention centers for deportation, while around 3,134 will be released to remain in the UK.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs was contacted for comment.
