Source · IMB Annual Report

Dover Short Term Holding Facilities

Year: 2021 Published: 5 Nov 2021 Type: Prison · Cat Short Term Holding Facility Population: 486 Key concerns Positive findings

The Dover Independent Monitoring Board raises urgent concerns about the continuing and worsening conditions at Tug Haven, Kent Intake Unit (KIU), and Frontier House. Facilities are severely overcrowded, leading to migrants, including vulnerable children, sleeping in unheated and unsanitary tents. Significant issues with undetected injuries, inadequate medical screening, and insufficient healthcare staffing are highlighted, along with staff demoralisation and safety incidents stemming from the challenging environment.

Positive findings

Staff interactions with migrants and detainees were generally respectful and caring, particularly with children. Staff responded promptly to requests for food and drink at KIU, and issues like water provision at Tug Haven were calmly addressed. The accessible toilet at Tug Haven was noted as clean, and sufficient food was reportedly provided. Staffing levels at Tug Haven were doubled on the day of the visit.

Key concerns

20 items

Overcrowding The conditions monitored at the Tug Haven in particular were deeply troubling yet were observed on a day that was described as the “least busy” of the 08-11/10/21 three-day period. Conditions on busier days can potentially be even worse.

Estate/Conditions The weather is now growing colder. The outside temperature at the time of the early morning visit on 11/10/21 was approximately 8 degrees and the main tent felt cold. Given that the new facility at the Western Jetfoil is not yet ready and there are no proper arrangements for heating in the tents, the Board is concerned that migrants will soon be held in very cold conditions which could impact on health and wellbeing. Since this report was originally drafted, some heating has now been installed in the tents; however the Board remains concerned that these unsuitable facilities will still be in use until at least the end of the year.

Equality/Diversity Repeated The Board has again observed children (including toddlers and babies) and people who appear vulnerable being held at the Tug Haven overnight.

Healthcare The Board has been made aware of an increasing number of injuries amongst migrants – in particular fuel burns and cuts and bruises to feet – which are not being picked up at the Tug Haven and which also have the potential to be missed at the KIU and Frontier House. One particularly serious case reported to the IMB involved a 16 year-old with serious fuel burns which went undetected for two days.

Overcrowding It was reported to the Board on 10+11/10/21 that the “single male immigration detention estate is now full”. The KIU was closed to new arrivals on 10/10/21 due to a positive Covid test result, further reducing the resilience in the system and impacting on waiting times at the Tug Haven.

Safety There was a serious incident at Frontier House on 12/10/21 during which police were called after a large number of detainees became agitated, banged on the holding room observation window glass.

Staffing Staff from all agencies working at the Dover facilities often appear frustrated and increasingly demoralised about the context in which they are working and the challenges of meeting migrant and detainee needs in a humane way.

Overcrowding The facilities are far too small for the number of people held overnight. During both visits to the Tug Haven on 10+11/10/21 migrants were observed to be sleeping on thin foam mats on the floor of the main tent. Each person appeared to have a blanket, but no pillows. With the exception of the initial arrival and search areas of the tent, every part of the floor space in the screened-off areas were used for sleeping. People were packed so closely together that there was no space between mats and people were practically touching. The same was true of the smaller green tents which were used to hold women, families and children. Some migrants slept on double-decker buses parked on tarmac inside the fence.

Estate/Conditions The Board is deeply concerned about the suitability of the tents for sleeping when the temperature drops further.

Regime/Time Out of Cell male and female toilets (the male toilets in particular) were in an extremely dirty and messy state, with large piles of paper towels and toilet tissues overflowing around the sides of toilet bowls and in other parts of the floor, with faeces clearly visible. The Board was informed that one of the toilets had also become blocked earlier that day and this was resolved within about two hours when Dyno-rod were called out. There was little or no evidence of any cleaning having taken place in the toilets.

Healthcare The medic raised a particular concern about a 16 year-old girl who had been admitted to the KIU the day before with fuel burns on her legs. She had been at the Tug Haven for two days and had been wearing wet clothes. The seam of these clothes had become embedded into the burns. The medic reported that the girl is likely to be scarred for life.

Healthcare There has also been a recent increase in the number of injuries relating to cuts and bruises on detainees’ feet (usually caused by walking across rocks or rough ground prior to arriving at the Tug Haven). Many of these injuries are also not being detected at the Tug Haven.

Healthcare A further concern is the risk of wounds becoming infected in the holding room at the KIU. The medic expressed concern that the infrequency of cleaning can contribute to this.

Healthcare It is also a concern to the Board that medical screening of every detainee does not automatically happen at the KIU, which presumably increases the likelihood of some injuries being overlooked.

Healthcare The Board is also concerned that there is only one medic available to serve both the KIU and Frontier House. Whilst the medic can travel to Frontier House this is not a satisfactory arrangement. It was also reported to the IMB that whilst at Frontier House the medic may not always have access to the medications they require, unless they take these with them from the KIU.

Safety Repeated As previously reported, social distancing is impossible at the Tug Haven and the KIU, with conditions at the Tug Haven particularly crowded.

Regime/Time Out of Cell The Board continues to be extremely concerned about the length of time that migrants are spending at the Tug Haven facility, particularly families and children (who are nevertheless still prioritised).

Regime/Time Out of Cell Many of the detainees had been in the holding room for two days. The person who had been in the holding room the longest was reported as arriving at 1557 on 08/10/21 (approximately 2.5 days spent in the holding room at the time of the visit).

Estate/Conditions Repeated The Board has reported in rota visit reports and in its annual report on the general unsuitability of the holding rooms, which can hold large numbers of detainees for periods of several days, without access to proper washing facilities. Very often the detainees held in this room are minors. The Board has repeatedly raised the concern about the lack of washing facilities and the impact on detainee welfare but has yet to receive a response about whether or how this will be addressed.

Healthcare In October a number of detainees caught a sickness bug, with a small number of detainees having to be taken to hospital. Whilst the cause of the infection appears unrelated to the facility itself, the fact that it was able to spread is indicative of the close proximity in which detainees are held and the length of time they can spend in this environment. The absence of proper washing facilities makes it difficult – even impossible, for detainees to adequately clean themselves after vomiting.

Dover Short Term Holding Facilities

Positive findings

Key concerns

Report details

Population

Source links