Fury over ad for barbers to cut hair of migrants before deportation | UK | News
Two barbers are wanted to cut the hair of immigrants awaiting deportation at Britain’s newest deportation centre. A job posting for positions at the 400-bed Campsfield Immigration Removal Center says workers will provide services that “reflect the cultural needs” of residents, with candidates able to offer “a variety of hairdressing and barbering styles.”
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said the positions were a “complete waste of taxpayers’ money” and an “insult”. According to outsourcing giant Mitie, there are two part-time barber positions available “soon to open” at its Campsfield headquarters in Oxfordshire. Labor earlier this year awarded the company an initial six-year contract worth around £140.7 million to run the facility.
Campsfield was previously closed in 2018 after several years of trouble, including riots and escapes.
In the advertisement for barbers on the site, Mitie said, “We are looking for respectful, hard-working and caring colleagues to join our team.”
In addition to cutting hair, other main duties include “supervising and coaching resident barbers to help them develop their skills.”
Experience delivering relevant workshops/training is identified as a desired skill in the candidate specification.
Responding to the job advert, Mr Philp said: “Immigration Removal Centers are for foreign criminals and illegal immigrants who are about to be deported. Shelters also often house illegal immigrants who need to be deported. They shouldn’t be getting free haircuts; they should be thrown out.”
“Many British citizens struggle to afford basic needs such as haircuts due to Labour’s high taxes. It is an insult that Labor wastes their hard-earned taxes on illegal immigrants.”
Immigrants, including asylum seekers, may be held in an Immigration Removal Center before being deported.
They can also remain at the sites while waiting for their immigration status to be processed.
Advertised part-time barber contracts in Campsfield are 20-30 hours per week.
There was no mention of pay in the announcement – but earlier this week it was revealed that a hairdresser/barber vacancy at Heathrow Immigration Removal Center in Mitie was offering an annual salary of £31,595 on a full-time contract of 40 hours a week.
Mitie said the Campsfield facility, which is expected to open in December, will be the UK’s first ‘green’ Immigration Removal Centre.
With around 200 staff, it is set to run solely on renewable electricity, heat pumps and solar panels.
It is expected to have a capacity of 400 people with approximately 160 bed spaces created in renovated accommodation units.
Earlier this year the Government ordered the removal of adverts for staff teaching floristry and balloon art to immigrants at Heathrow Immigration Repatriation Centre.
The number of people crossing the English Channel in small boats (36,954) reached a record level this year.
The Labor Party plans to increase deportations with its ‘one in, one out’ agreement with France, and 75 people have been returned so far under this plan.
Sir Keir Starmer insisted his approach to stopping small boats was on track, but Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused the Government of being in “total chaos” on immigration.
A Mitie spokesperson told the Express: “These part-time roles are part of our contractual obligations and are standard practice in secure environments. We continue to work closely with the Home Office to ensure services provide value for money.”
The Ministry of Home Affairs has been contacted for comment.
