Safety
Repeated
Again, there have been occasions when a minor is not accompanied by a responsible adult in the controlled waiting area (CWA). Whilst it is not a requirement for unaccompanied minors without a chaperone to have a responsible adult, the Border Force officer monitoring the minor is responsible for the oversight of everyone in the CWA. We would like to see all minors accompanied by a designated responsible adult whilst they are in the CWA.
Safety
The family room at London City Airport still contains child-sized benches with an adult-height table, posing a risk of injury to detained individuals.
Safety
The Board was not informed immediately when a person being removed from the country absconded form the aircraft and put himself and others at risk.
Staffing
Insufficient numbers of Border Force officers continue to result in occasional long waits in the CWAs.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Detainees in CWAs have limited privacy, and the CWA at Terminal 2 appears too small for the number of people regularly held there.
Resettlement/Release
Asylum seekers (adults and minors) who have been bailed sometimes face long waits for the service provider (contracted to provide transport and accommodation for asylum seekers) to pick them up. Unavailability of accommodation or transport is often given as the cause. The service has improved with the new providers in place.
Equality/Diversity
Not all of those who are detained are offered a translator on arrival into immigration detention. The Board recommends that, where English is not their first language, they should be offered this, regardless of whether or not an officer believes that the level of English is of a sufficient standard.
Equality/Diversity
Delays and unavailability of certain languages in The Big Word translation service hinder inductions and ongoing communication.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The holding rooms are not equipped for stays over 24 hours, but detained people do sometimes have long stays, often overnight, without sufficient mattresses and blankets.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The temperature in the holding rooms is sometimes too cold for people sitting in a room for an extended period and DCOs are unable to control it directly. This often causes considerable discomfort for the detained people who complain of being cold, even when blankets are supplied.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
In previous reports, we have recommended that DCOs are reminded to engage regularly with detained people during their long periods of detention because they may not remember everything they have been told during their induction. This year, again, we observed detained people who would have benefited from a reminder of what was available to them.
Complaints/Property
Variable quality and tone of responses to IMB monitoring reports suggest agencies may be missing opportunities to learn and improve practices.
Healthcare
Repeated
Detainees at London City Airport and Eaton House continue to lack access to their own prescribed or over-the-counter medication.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The payphones ceased operating in October 2025. Each holding room has around 10 loan phones available. Detained people do not always remember what they are told at their induction, in that, they are entitled to make a phone call. Here is an example from our monitoring notes at the time: • The payphones in the holding rooms have been disconnected. DCOs advised that people in the holding room could make calls from the phone in the office. They could use loan phones. The loan phone record was scrutinised and it was noted that there had been no phones loaned out in October and November. We have asked that DCOs are aware that they may need to remind detained people of their right to make a call as often they cannot take in all the information they are given at the time of their induction.
Complaints/Property
We are concerned that the escorting operations team only shared full complaints and response copies with the Board for one in the 13 complaints, owing to wider caution around complainant consent. This has constrained the Board’s ability to monitor the quality and approach of detention services complaints. The Board is pleased to note that the escorting operations team has recently committed to fuller sharing of the complaints received and the responses going forward.
Resettlement/Release
There is, at times, a difference in understanding between the lead escort and the person being removed about whether an FRS payment will be made. This can cause upset and disappointment for the person being removed.