Recommendation 29

The JCHR’s previous report on immigration detention highlighted the importance of making detention decisions independent of the Home Office to ensure that the initial decision to deprive a person of their liberty is robust and fully justified. The Committee recommended that “in cases where detention is planned there should be properly independent decision-making” and that detention “decisions should be pre-authorised by a person or body fully independent of the Home Office.” We 74 The Government’s response to COVID-19: human rights implications urge the Government to implement this recommendation: in the context of the pandemic it is more important than ever, given the risk to immigration detainees’ health.