Recommendation 1
The holding facilities in Dover and Folkestone are unsuitable for the numbers of detainees arriving and should be expanded or replaced as a matter of urgency.
Source · IMB Annual Report
Dover
AI-generated report summary The Independent Monitoring Board for Dover Short-Term Holding Facility reported on the period of January 2019 to December 2020, during which detainee numbers significantly increased. Key concerns included the unsuitability of the facilities for the high volume of detainees and extended stays, particularly for vulnerable individuals and children. The Board highlighted issues with mental health provision, the practicality of COVID-19 measures, and detainees' lack of clear information or external contact, despite staff largely treating detainees with respect.
Year: 2020
Published: 8 Oct 2021
Type: Prison · Cat STHF
Recommendations: 10
Key concerns
Positive findings
Safety statistics
| Indicator | This year | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Deaths in custody | 0 | 0 |
| Self-harm incidents | 0 | 0 |
| Prisoner assaults | 0 | 0 |
| Assaults on staff | 0 | — |
| Use of force | 0 | 0 |
Positive findings
AI-generated summaryThe Board noted that detainees are generally treated with respect by staff and largely feel safe, with instances of self-harm and violence being extremely rare. Staff are diligent in identifying and addressing vulnerabilities, with good use of the National Referral Mechanism. Medical provision improved significantly after the reporting period with 24/7 paramedic cover. Refurbishments to the induction room and provision of information in multiple languages were also positive steps.
Key concerns
The holding rooms in Dover and Folkestone were clearly not designed to cope with the high numbers of people arriving across the Channel witnessed in 2019 and 2020. This places considerable pressure on the ability to maintain a safe environment, particularly for children.
When there are large influxes of detainees, the assessment of detainee vulnerabilities comes under greater pressure and that some detainee needs may be missed.
The small size of the family room means that children (sometimes unaccompanied) can be held in the same space as adults they do not know, sometimes for long periods of time.
Neither the Dover nor the Folkestone holding rooms are suitable for stays in excess of a few hours and manifestly unsuitable for stays in excess of 24 hours. The lack of proper sleeping facilities, fresh air and the general unsuitability of the environment is felt to be injurious to detainees’ welfare.
Some groups with protected characteristics – such as pregnant women, older detainees and detainees with disabilities – are less likely to have their particular needs met in the holding room.
There is no formal mental health support, though vulnerabilities linked to mental health are sometimes identified whilst detainees are in the holding rooms. It is unclear however how far this information is passed on and acted on by any receiving facility.
Social distancing has not been realistic in either the KIU or Frontier House due to crowding, and there was a lack of proactive widespread testing of detainees for Covid-19 in 2020.
Detainees often report confusion about where they are and what will be happening to them next, and written information provided is usually in English and can be difficult to understand.
Detainees’ options for contacting families or outside contacts are limited, and the Board feels more thought should be given to ways of supporting detainees in making contact with family members.
Recommendations
Recommendation 2
Processes for dealing with unaccompanied minors arriving should be urgently reviewed to address the lengths of time spent waiting in the holding rooms or the Atrium before being placed in care.
Recommendation 3
Age assessment processes should be strengthened to prevent further cases of minors being mistakenly transported to Immigration Removal Centres. This has been partially addressed since the end of the reporting period.
Response
This has been partially addressed since the end of the reporting period.
Recommendation 4
Detainees should be provided with clearer verbal and written information about what will happen to them when they leave the facilities, with documentation provided in a range of languages.
Recommendation 5
The facilities at the Tug Haven should be improved to ensure that detainees’ urgent needs are better met earlier in the detention process (see Annex A).
Recommendation 6
The IMB should be granted access to monitor the Tug Haven facility. This was a concern at the end of the reporting period, but was positively addressed in mid-2021.
Response
This was a concern at the end of the reporting period, but was positively addressed in mid-2021.
Recommendation 7
The medical provision in the holding rooms should be expanded to ensure permanent access to more than one medical professional at busier times. The expansion to 24 hours per day was achieved just after the end of the reporting period; however more than one medic should be available.
Response
The expansion to 24 hours per day was achieved just after the end of the reporting period; however more than one medic should be available.
Recommendation 8
Showering and washing facilities should be provided at Frontier House.
Recommendation 9
Supervision of detainees in the holding rooms should be improved during times when the holding rooms are close to full capacity in particular to safeguard the needs of children detainees who are vulnerable.
Recommendation 10
Ventilation in the holding rooms should be improved.
Other reports for Dover
· Self-harm 1
· Concerns