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Scotland and Northern Ireland Short-Term Holding Facilities (STHF)

AI-generated report summary The Scotland and Northern Ireland STHF IMB report highlights generally humane treatment by staff but identifies significant concerns across multiple facilities for the period February 2022 to January 2023. Key issues include the unsafe removal of prescription medication, inadequate disability provisions, and the unsuitability of airport holding rooms for increasingly prolonged detentions. The Board also notes long-overdue building alterations at Larne House and ventilation issues across the estate, urging urgent action from the Home Office and facility managers.

Year: 2023 Published: 24 Oct 2023 Type: Prison · Cat STHF Recommendations: 11 Key concerns Positive findings
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Safety statistics

Incidents during reporting year
IndicatorThis yearPrevious
Deaths in custody0—

Positive findings

AI-generated summary
The Board noted the general cleanliness and good decoration of facilities like Larne House and Aberdeen. There has been an improvement in the diligent completion of risk sections on IS91 forms and DCOs and UKBF staff are observed to treat detained people humanely, efficiently conducting inductions and training in vulnerability identification. The Board also welcomed the introduction of Samsung translation devices and acknowledges that some issues from previous reports have been successfully resolved. They are generally satisfied that detainees are treated equally, caring, and fairly.

Key concerns

5 items
Healthcare Repeated The potential problems of the current process that requires detained people to surrender their prescription medications to a DCO upon entry to the HRs; for various health reasons remains a matter of concern for the Board. Personal medicines are removed, we are told for safety reasons, when people enter the detention estate. We have not seen evidence that there is a satisfactory regime for making sure that each person then receives their medicine at the prescribed time. This has the potential to present serious health risks to those who need to take their prescribed medicines regularly.
Estate/Conditions Repeated The lack of adequate provision for people with disabilities across the immigration detention estate, including unsuitable facilities (e.g., inaccessible toilets for wheelchair users, missing elevator sections) and the absence of showering facilities in several airport holding rooms, particularly problematic for detainees held overnight. Planned building alterations at Larne House RSTHF to provide separate, dignified facilities for women have not been implemented and bedrooms remain basic and uncomfortable. Source wording under review
Regime/Time Out of Cell Repeated The average maximum length of time that individuals were detained within the airport HR has increased from five hours to eight hours. We consider this extended timescale is not appropriate considering our view that the current HRs are unsuitable for this length of stay, because of their cramped size and lack of fresh air circulation. There continues to be an increase in the number of people being detained at Glasgow and Edinburgh for more than eight hours, and in some cases overnight.
Safety Holding rooms are in a number of cases not suitable for their intended purpose, with Prestwick Airport's facility being totally unsuitable, leading to detainees being held unattended in the Controlled Waiting Area and monitored remotely, impairing safety and security due to delayed emergency response times. Source wording under review
Resettlement/Release Long taxi journeys late at night as detained persons are moved to other locations within the detention estate, and concerns about the methodology of late night transfers to establishments south of the border.

Recommendations

11 items · 10 repeated

Recommendation 1

Addressee: Other — minister

The Minister is urged to request that the Home Office carry out an urgent assessment of the risks to detained people as a result of the removal of their prescription medications. These risks should then be taken into account when designing a practical strategy for ensuring that detained people receive their appropriate medication. The desired outcome would be that the health and wellbeing needs of all detained people are met.

Repeated Source text verified

Recorded status:

Topic: Healthcare

Recommendation 2

Addressee: Other — minister

Firstly, the Minister is urged to review the decision to increase the maximum length of stay to eight hours.

Repeated Source text verified

Recorded status:

Topic: Regime

Recommendation 3

Addressee: Home Office

Secondly, we would ask that the Home Office identify and address the reasons for the considerable increase, compared to previous years, in numbers of people being detained in the Glasgow and Edinburgh airports HRs for more than eight hours. The desired outcome, for both recommendations, would be that detained people experience a more humane experience during their stay in a STHF.

Repeated Source text verified

Recorded status:

Topic: Regime

Recommendation 4

Addressee: Other — minister

We suggest, in the light of the delays and the requirement to provide facilities compliant with disability access requirements, that the Minister reconsiders the decision to partially accept our recommendation for a HR in Terminal 2, and to now fully commit to the recommendation. The desired outcome would be that the delays in people being transferred from the control desk to the HR would be reduced and the facility would comply with disability access requirements. Hygiene facilities such as showers could be incorporated in the new HR, thus providing for the fair and humane treatment of all detained people.

Repeated Source text verified

Recorded status:

Topic: Estate

Recommendation 5

Addressee: Home Office

We would recommend a review with consideration being given to standardisation of the translation devices across all of the facilities.

Repeated Source text verified

Recorded status:

Topic: Equality

Recommendation 6

Addressee: Home Office

That the appraisal of the ventilation arrangements at all facilities is undertaken as a matter of urgency.

Repeated Source text verified

Recorded status:

Topic: Safety

Recommendation 7

Addressee: Home Office

We recommend that the CCTV monitoring of the HR be brought to an end and that the adjacent office section be manned when persons are detained within the HR. Also, we requested, in our previous annual report that the missing section of elevator, which had been removed and stored elsewhere in the terminal, be also brought back into service. The desired outcomes of these recommendations would be that detained persons, including those with disabilities, would be detained within a safe and secure facility, appropriate to their needs.

Repeated Source text verified

Recorded status:

Topic: Safety

Recommendation 8

Addressee: Home Office

We recommend that the HR be brought up to basic requirements by UKBF installing portable secure Wi-Fi and connecting a CCTV system to it. We understand that a section of elevator had been removed and stored elsewhere in the terminal. It could be brought back into service. The desired outcome would be that any individual detained is held within a safe and secure facility, appropriate to their needs.

Repeated Source text verified

Recorded status:

Topic: Estate

Recommendation 9

Addressee: Other — other

The Board wishes to see target dates for the implementation and completion of work to provide safe and private facilities for women in Larne House RSTHF, as well as the upgrading of all bedrooms Larne House in line with the trail, re-equipped room.

Repeated Source text verified

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Topic: Estate

Recommendation 10

Addressee: Other — other

That an assessment is carried out to establish if the facilities are fit for purpose at Dumkeen House.

Source text verified

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Topic: Estate

Recommendation 11

Addressee: Other — other

The decor and general furnishing at Edinburgh airport HRs are in real need of redecoration. We understand that this work is being looked at for implementation. We are also waiting the installation of a flight monitor and the replacement of the old TV sets in the two holding rooms.

Repeated Source text verified

Recorded status:

Topic: Estate

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