Source · IMB Annual Report
London short term holding facilities (STHF)
Year: 2026
Published: 11 Jun 2026
Type: Prison · Cat IRC
Recommendations: 17
Key concerns
Positive findings
This report for London STHFs highlights that while holding rooms generally provide a safe environment and inductions are mostly high quality, significant issues persist. Key concerns include chronic understaffing of Border Force leading to long waits, inadequate provisions for extended stays in rooms not designed for them, and a persistent lack of access to personal medication at some facilities. The Board also notes issues with translation services and the absence of direct internet access for detainees.
Safety statistics
| Indicator | This year | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Use of force | 4 | — |
Positive findings
The Board notes that holding rooms remain a safe environment, with vulnerable people and minors regularly checked. Inductions are generally of a high standard. There has been a reduction in overall detention numbers and long stays. Aeromed's 24/7 paramedic service is working well, and escort teams typically use a calm and compassionate approach during removals, often with paramedics present. Complaint responses from Border Force are comprehensive and have shown improvement in sharing.
Key concerns
Safety
Repeated
Minors in CWAs are not always accompanied by a designated responsible adult, despite Border Force officers being responsible for oversight, raising safety concerns.
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 IMB was not informed immediately when a person being removed absconded from an aircraft, putting themselves and others at risk.
Staffing
Insufficient Border Force officers continue to cause occasional long waits in Controlled Waiting Areas (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 on bail often face long waits for collection by service providers due to unavailability of accommodation or transport.
Equality/Diversity
Not all detainees whose first language is not English are offered a translator on arrival into immigration detention.
Equality/Diversity
Delays and unavailability of certain languages in The Big Word translation service hinder inductions and ongoing communication.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Holding rooms, unequipped for long stays, frequently house detainees for over 24 hours, often without sufficient mattresses and blankets, impacting comfort and welfare.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Temperatures in holding rooms are sometimes too cold, causing discomfort for detainees, and DCOs lack direct control over heating.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
DCOs are not consistently reminded to engage regularly with detainees during long periods, leading to detainees forgetting information from induction about available services.
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
Payphones in holding rooms ceased operating, and while loan phones are available, detainees are not always reminded of their right to make calls.
Complaints/Property
The escorting operations team shared only summary details for most detention services complaints, limiting the IMB's ability to monitor quality and approach due to concerns around complainant consent.
Resettlement/Release
Discrepancies in understanding between escorts and detainees regarding FRS payments can cause distress during removals.
Recommendations
| # | Recommendation | Addressee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Board would like to see access to Wi-Fi for detained people across all the holding rooms so that they can access appropriate information.
Repeated
Response
Partially accepted. Home Office reports little use of the tablets. There is no declared intention to provide Wi-Fi access in the holding rooms. |
Home Office | |
| 2 |
Eaton House and London City Airport urgently need a workable solution for administering personal medication.
Repeated
Response
Accepted. There has been no progress on this issue. |
Home Office | |
| 3 |
We would like a review of the purpose of the lists of legal advice providers so that those who are detained do not have unrealistic expectations.
Repeated
Response
Accepted. There has been no progress on this issue and it remains a concern for the Board. |
Home Office | |
| 4 |
The Board recommends that more officers be deployed at peak times to avoid unnecessarily extended periods of detention in the controlled waiting areas and the holding rooms.
Repeated
Response
Partially accepted. The Board continues to be concerned about the extended periods of detention in the controlled waiting areas. |
Home Office | |
| 5 |
The holding rooms are not equipped for stays over 24 hours and the Board would like to a significant reduction in the 3.35% of detained people experiencing these long stays. We would like to see a reduction to pre-pandemic levels of around 1%.
Repeated
Response
Partially accepted. The Board continues to monitor stays of over 24 hours and raises any concerns in our reports. |
Home Office | |
| 6 |
The temperature problems in the holding rooms need to be resolved. The Board would like to see DCOs be given some form of control, either by being able to directly adjust the temperature or by asking someone to adjust the temperature at their request.
Repeated
Response
Partially accepted. There has been no progress this year, but we are hopeful that the refurbishment of the holding rooms will provide a solution to the problem. |
Home Office | |
| 7 |
We would like to see shorter collection waiting times for those seeking asylum and being transferred to asylum accommodation and immigration removal centres.
Repeated
Response
There is no indication as to whether this was accepted or not. The Board remains concerned by long waits for collection. |
Home Office | |
| 8 |
The detention contractor should ensure that DCOs use The Big Word interpretation service for inducting non-English-speaking passengers and that they should not assume that passengers with a limited grasp of English really understand what they are being told.
Repeated
Response
Accepted. The Board continues to note occasions when The Big Word should have been used for induction. |
Other | |
| 9 |
Delays and unavailability of certain languages in The Big Word translation service need to be addressed.
Repeated
Response
Accepted. This problem persists at times. |
Other | |
| 10 |
DCOs should be reminded to engage regularly with detained people during their long periods of detention, because they do not remember everything they have been told during their induction.
Repeated
Response
Partially accepted. We continue to observe occasions when residents have not retained information that would have been given on induction. |
Other | |
| 11 |
The mattresses in the holding rooms are very thin. We would like Mitie Care & Custody to continue their search for thicker mattresses.
Repeated
Response
Partially accepted. There has been no change in the mattresses in use. |
Other | |
| 12 | We would like to see that detained people have access to showers even if the shower in the holding room where they are detained is out of action. | Other | |
| 13 | Ensure that protocols are observed in terms of informing IMB of amber and red incidents. | Other | |
| 14 |
The Board would like to see the lack of signal in Terminal 2 be urgently addressed, so that a translation device can be used to communicate with detained people.
Repeated
Response
Accepted. This has now been resolved. |
Home Office | |
| 15 |
The Board would like to see minors who have extended waits in the CWA accommodated in the holding room instead, due to lack of facilities and an unsuitable environment in the CWA.
Repeated
Response
Not accepted. The Board still remains concerned when minors are detained for long periods in the CWA. |
Home Office | |
| 16 |
We seek clarity on the mechanism for deciding whether a removal constitutes a complex case in terms of an escorted removal.
Repeated
Response
Accepted. This issue has been resolved. |
Home Office | |
| 17 |
The Board has been asking for toilet seats to be installed in all terminal holding rooms for the last few years and we would like to see this issue finally resolved.
Repeated
Response
Accepted. This issue has now been resolved. |
Home Office |
Other reports for London short term holding facilities (STHF)
Report details
- Establishment
- London short term holding facilities (STHF)
- Type
- Prison · Cat IRC
- Report year
- 2026
- Published
- 11 June 2026
- Recommendations
- 17
Service providers
Holding room management
Mitie Care & Custody
Medical assistance
Aeromed
Translation services
The Big Word
Transport/Escort (departure point)
Wilson James