Recommendation 42

HM Government Acknowledged

We welcome the Committee’s recognition of immigration detention’s response to this unprecedented health crisis, and of our commitment to return to business as usual in a careful and considered way. On 26 March the High Court ruled that the Home Office was taking sensible, precautionary measures in relation to COVID-19 and immigration detention. These are in line with the Public Health England (PHE) and Public Health Scotland guidance, and are in place to protect staff and those detained. We consider the Court’s findings a strong endorsement of the steps we have taken so far and continue to take. the COVID-19 pandemic. At the start of May 2020 there were 313 people detained, 97% of whom were foreign national offenders (FNOs). In comparison, there were 1,278 in the estate at the end of December 2019, and 555 at the end of March 2020. 16 Home Office preparedness for COVID-19 (coronavirus): institutional accommodation: There has been no change to the Adults at Risk in immigration detention policy (AAR) during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, supplementary guidance was issued to take account of the PHE advice, including the consideration of medical circumstances (including respiratory conditions) which could potentially elevate an AAR in detention level. All detained individuals who are assessed to have any of the underlying health vulnerabilities listed in the PHE guidance are automatically treated as being in the vulnerable category under the AAR policy. policies and PHE advice, the availability of return routes, and individual circumstances, including risk to the public. Interim guidance in March set out the action that case workers should take in response to COVID-19. This guidance was subsequently published and is available on Gov.uk. The Home Office also issued, and subsequently published, clear guidance for suppliers and Home Office staff operating in immigration removal centres (IRCs) and residential short-term holding facilities (RSTHFs) about the principles for managing COVID-19. be vulnerable to the effects of COVID-19 and sets out actions that staff should take in response, including the management of asymptomatic individuals. This guidance is kept under review and will be revised as and when necessary. With regard to those who may need to self-isolate, full ‘reverse cohorting’ consistent with PHE guidance is being practised in all IRCs. Upon arrival, all detained individuals are accommodated in an area dedicated to new arrivals which is separate from the rest of the IRC population and staffed by a dedicated team. They are then ‘cohorted’ with others arriving over the course of a week. At the end of that week, those individuals remain separated from the rest of the IRC population for a further 14 days. A rotational intake strategy amongst the IRCs has ensured that new arrivals do not come into contact with the existing population for the minimum prescribed period of 14 days after arrival. Anyone detained in an IRC who develops symptom consistent with COVID-19 is isolated in their own room within an isolation area. Those individuals who are severely unwell will be transferred to appropriate healthcare facilities. In taking these actions, we have also recognised the risk to the mental health of the detainees. Measures have been introduced, including in-room activity and socially distanced group interactions, and increased access to and engagement with staff. Those detained were also provided with increased mobile phone credit to ensure that they could keep in contact with friends and families while social visits were paused. As part of our roadmap to recovery, social visits recommenced on 1 August 2020, but the provision of additional mobile phone credit is being continued for the time being.