Recommendation 1
Introduce a time limit for immigration detention.
Source · IMB Annual Report
Yarl’s Wood IRC
AI-generated report summary Yarl's Wood IRC operated near full capacity in 2025, experiencing increased violence and self-harm incidents. Key concerns included the detention of vulnerable individuals, especially those with mental health needs, the lack of a time limit for detention, and the degrading use of handcuffs during hospital escorts. Delays in mental health transfers and issues with medical record transfers also hindered care, while staff were commended for their professionalism and de-escalation techniques.
Year: 2025
Published: 12 Aug 2026
Type: IRC · Cat IRC
Population: 379
Recommendations: 7
Key concerns
Positive findings
Safety statistics
| Indicator | This year | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Deaths in custody | 0 | — |
| Self-harm incidents | 62 | 57 |
| ACCT cases opened | 271 | 265 |
| Assaults on staff | 13 | — |
| Use of force | 194 | 180 |
Positive findings
AI-generated summaryThe Board commends staff for their calm, helpful, and respectful conduct during arrivals, and their proportionate responses to self-harm incidents. Staff are also praised for their use of management tools to de-escalate aggressive behaviour and for their supportive interactions with detained persons. The centre's management of transgender detainees, active religious affairs team, efficient healthcare appointment system, and improved educational activities are also noted positively. The increase in DET staff and accessible social visits with free transport are welcomed.
Key concerns
The levels of violence and self-harm at Yarl’s Wood have increased during 2025. Aggressive and antisocial behaviour has again been notable and there were several incidences of damage to the fabric of the centre. There continue to be altercations between detained persons and there have been physical and verbal assaults on both male and female officers.
The Board continues to observe that the Detention Gatekeeper has not been robust enough in its safeguarding purpose of protecting vulnerable persons from being detained. High levels of vulnerability were observed at Yarl’s Wood in 2025, and amongst other evidence, three persons were sectioned under the Mental Health Act.
There is much evidence that the length of time and uncertainty in case resolution, takes its toll on the detained person’s mental health and the results are seen in poor sleep, volatile and aggressive behaviour, depression and self-harm.
The Board repeats its view that detention without a time limit is unfair and inhumane.
Nearly all persons attending hospital in 2025 did so in handcuffs. The Board acknowledge that the use of handcuffs is determined by a risk assessment, but the default position is that handcuffs are used, with very few exceptions. The Board considers this is unfair and inhumane and wearing handcuffs in public is widely and understandably seen by detained persons as degrading and embarrassing.
The CSU has again been used to house detained persons with significant mental health problems. The environment is not ideal for someone in a severe mental health crisis and again highlights the failure of the Detention Gatekeeper to adequately assess the vulnerability of persons being detained.
Delays of weeks can occur before a resident with a serious mental health diagnosis is moved to an appropriate facility.
Healthcare continues to be hindered in its work by some detained persons arriving at Yarl’s Wood without their medical history and who require treatment. The Board has seen no evidence of efforts by the relevant parties to rectify this situation and improve transfer of information.
Most men are released (58%) rather than removed (42%). This is a concern given the negative impact of detention on mental health and the evidence that is seen that detention results in the detrimental wellbeing and behaviour of detained persons.
Some detained persons still complain that they do not receive their monthly updates. This is difficult to verify and may be a result of frustration with their case progression.
Length of stay and slow case progression is one of the main issues that detained persons raise with the Board, and this especially the case for those persons who wish to return voluntarily.
The mobile phone signal has been inconsistent throughout the year, making it difficult for detained persons to communicate with their solicitors and families.
Recommendations
Recommendation 2
The Board again repeats its recommendation that the Detention Gatekeeper should be more robust in its safeguarding purpose of protecting vulnerable persons from being detained. [4.4.1]
Recommendation 3
Review DSO guidelines and the appropriateness of risk assessments undertaken before detained persons are taken to hospital that adequately and fairly balance the risk of escape with the need for the use of handcuffs. [6.2.4]
Recommendation 4
Review how procedures can be put in place to ensure that the medical records and vulnerabilities of detained persons are transferred to Yarl’s Wood, either with the detained persons or in a timely fashion. [6.2.2]
Recommendation 5
Review procedures for informing detained persons of the administrative steps that need to be undertaken to process their case and the length of time that it will take. [7.2.7]
Recommendation 6
Establish mechanisms with other relevant parties to ensure that detained persons are fairly and humanely risk assessed before the application of handcuffs when being taken to hospital. [6.2.4]
Recommendation 7
Review pathway to allow doctors to prescribe hormone replacements in a safe and timely manner to those transgender detained persons who arrive at the centre without prescriptions. [4.4.2]
Applications to the IMB
| Category | Current | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation including laundry, showers | 0 | 1 |
| E 1 Letters, faxes, visits, phones, internet access | 1 | 0 |
| E 2 Finance including detained people’s centre accounts | 0 | 0 |
| Equality | 0 | 0 |
| Escorts | 0 | 2 |
| Food and kitchens | 5 | 0 |
| H 1 Property within centre | 0 | 0 |
| H 2 Property during transfer or in another establishment or location | 0 | 2 |
| Health including physical, mental, social care | 12 | 0 |
| Issues relating to detained people’s immigration case, including access to legal advice | 14 | 8 |
| Other | 8 | 3 |
| Purposeful activity including education, paid work, training, library, other activities | 0 | 0 |
| Staff/detained people conduct, including bullying | 7 | 4 |
| Use of force, removal from association | 1 | 2 |
Other reports for Yarl’s Wood IRC
Population 388
· Self-harm 57
· Concerns
Population 310
· Self-harm 29
· Concerns