Recommendation 1
Recommendation (the Board's words)Introduce a time limit for immigration detention.
Source text verified
Independent Monitoring Boards annual report
Gatwick IRC
Report year 2025
Published 2 Sep 2026
Type IRC, category IRC
Population 406
Responsible body Gatwick IRC
14 recommendations
Original IMB report page ↗ Ministerial response, 15 Sep 2026 ↗ imb.org.uk ↗
The summary and positive findings below were written from the report by an AI model. The Board's own wording is in the report linked above.
Summary
Summary written by this site (AI-generated)The Independent Monitoring Board for Gatwick IRCs reported a volatile environment in 2025, with concerns about detainee safety, high lock-up times, and inadequate healthcare provision. Key issues included significant delays in legal support and bail accommodation, and systemic failures in safeguarding vulnerable individuals, especially those affected by Operation Hillmore. Despite some improvements in clinical governance and welfare support, the Board highlighted numerous areas where the centres failed to meet expected standards for fair and humane treatment.
Positive findings
Summary written by this site (AI-generated)The Board noted positive improvements in clinical governance, particularly medication reconciliation, and effective health promotion events. General cleanliness and laundry maintenance improved, and food satisfaction was high. Welfare officers and many staff members received praise for their supportive and helpful engagement with detainees. Refurbishment projects positively impacted living conditions and Rule 40 reviews were generally better structured.
Recommendations
- Recommendation 1Addressed to Ministry of Justice
- Recommendation 2Addressed to Home Office
- Recommendation 3Addressed to Home Office
Key concerns
- Key concern 1Safety
- Key concern 2Regime/Time Out of Cell
- Key concern 3Regime/Time Out of Cell
Recommendations 14 items · 12 repeated
Recommendations were extracted from the report by AI, and responses and their status from the ministerial response by AI. Each recommendation shows whether its wording has been checked against the report.
Recommendation 2
Recommendation (the Board's words)Review how key mechanisms intended to safeguard detained men operate together to make any necessary changes to ensure that they provide effective outcomes: detention gatekeeper, healthcare arrival screening, Rule 34 assessments, Rule 35 processes, assessment, care in detention and teamwork (ACDT) plans (used to monitor detained people at risk of self-harm), vulnerable adult care plan (VACP) processes, and adults at risk policies and process.
Source text verified
Recommendation 3
Recommendation (the Board's words)Operate with a presumption of release in cases of vulnerability, considering not just whether vulnerabilities can be accommodated in detention but also at what cost to the detained man.
Source text verified
Recommendation 4
Recommendation (the Board's words)Ensure that communication with detained men is clear and transparent, including through provision of adequate and appropriate interpretation, and training and support to staff in working with interpreters. Ensure that documents are provided in a language that detained men understand.
Source text verified
Recommendation 5
Recommendation (the Board's words)Ensure there is a quality assurance system and accountability mechanism for probation services and the detained duty advice scheme, which ensures men have meaningful access to legal support and do not suffer unreasonable delays in the progression of their cases.
Source text verified
Recommendation 6
Recommendation (the Board's words)Revise lock-in times to provide detained men with more association time.
Source text verified
Recommendation 7
Recommendation (the Board's words)Eliminate unnecessary delays as far as possible in immigration case decision-making and travel booking and work with the Probation Service to improve timeliness in bail accommodation approval.
Source text verified
Recommendation 8
Recommendation (the Board's words)Establish reliable systems to ensure that men receive their monthly reports on time and can raise any issues or rectify errors quickly and easily.
Source text verified
Recommendation 9
Recommendation (the Board's words)Review, in conjunction with Practice Plus Group, the appropriateness of risk assessments carried out prior to planned use of force by kitted teams, and establish clear protocols and guidance that appropriately balance the physical and psychological risks to staff and to detained men.
Source text verified
Recommendation 10
Recommendation (the Board's words)Record all hospital escorts involving handcuffs as use of force incidents, even where they are presented as consensual.
Source text verified
Recommendation 11
Recommendation (the Board's words)Review the mechanisms for informing and encouraging detained men to take up the offer of a Rule 34 appointment, as these are a vital safeguard, greatly increasing the likelihood of the detection of vulnerabilities.
Source text verified
Recommendation 12
Recommendation (the Board's words)Provide suitable training and support to ensure that all healthcare staff, including GPs, are clear about their obligations under Detention Centre Rule 35, and understand how these are to operate.
Source text verified
Recommendation 13
Recommendation (the Board's words)Ensure that suitable training and support is provided so that professional interpretation services are used effectively in communications with detained men, particularly during critical safeguards such as initial screening and Rule 34 and 35 appointments.
Source text verified
Recommendation 14
Recommendation (the Board's words)Provide more transparency about healthcare complaints and shorter timeframes for response. Provide adequate information to allow the IMB to assess the nature of the complaints and the effectiveness and efficiency of this complaints process.
Source text verified
Key concerns 44 items
Key concerns were extracted from the report text by an AI model.
Key concern 1
Gatwick IRCs were relatively volatile environments in 2025, with serious incidents continuing to occur routinely and men's self-reported feeling of being unsafe remaining a serious concern. Rates of self-harm were generally higher than in the previous year, with significant spikes.
Key concern 2
Reception processes are information-heavy and overwhelming, exacerbated by insufficient interpretation, inadequate provision of documents in understood languages, and confusion among new arrivals, particularly asylum seekers under Operation Hillmore.
Source wording under review
Key concern 3
Men are sometimes kept waiting too long in arrival vehicles, which is uncomfortable, unnecessary, and undignified.
Source wording under review
Key concern 4
Interpretation, including sign language, is not used sufficiently or consistently, with the Serco-contracted service, Big Word, being of inconsistent quality and difficult to access.
Source wording under review
Key concern 5
Medical screenings are inadequate to detect vulnerabilities, especially mental health issues, with vastly insufficient uptake of Rule 34 assessments due to a lack of understanding of their purpose.
Source wording under review
Key concern 6
Insufficient numbers of men are assessed for deterioration or suicidality under Rules 35(1) and 35(2), and Rule 35 reports rarely lead to release.
Source wording under review
Key concern 7
A blanket approach of deploying a fully kitted team for every planned use of force intervention is unfair.
Key concern 8
Men are often detained for months despite vulnerability and deterioration, due to a default position of managing risks rather than considering release, leading to harm.
Source wording under review
Key concern 9
Detention without a time limit is unfair and inhumane.
Key concern 10
An accountability gap exists due to the lack of presence and poor responsiveness of probation services and DDAS legal aid firms.
Source wording under review
Key concern 11
Slow approval of bail addresses by probation services causes substantial delays in releasing men granted bail, undermining their legal rights and causing widespread frustration.
Source wording under review
Key concern 12
Concerning staff behaviour persists, including allegations of physical assault and use of dehumanising language like referring to men as ‘cases’.
Source wording under review
Key concern 13
The routine use of handcuffs in 97% of medical escorts is unfair, stigmatising, and lacks dignity, with its categorisation as ‘consensual’ being disingenuous.
Source wording under review
Key concern 14
A significant increase occurred in the use of separation under Rule 40 and Rule 42 at Brook House.
Source wording under review
Key concern 15
The length of time some men spend on Rule 40 is too long.
Key concern 16
Separation is used too often and for too long to manage the challenging behaviour of very vulnerable men, despite guidance that it should not be a routine response for mental health problems.
Source wording under review
Key concern 17
Rule 40 reviews, while improved, still suffer from inconsistent interpretation and concerning staff tone.
Source wording under review
Key concern 18
Delays in facilitating voluntary returns cause frustration and distress for men who have agreed to go home.
Key concern 19
Heavy pressure on limited IT equipment creates competition between leisure use and immigration case progression.
Source wording under review
Key concern 20
Too many men with severe mental health issues are still being detained for too long, requiring improved safeguards to prevent detention or ensure rapid release.
Source wording under review
Key concern 21
Lock-up times are too long, with men locked in their rooms for 12 hours daily, which the Board considers inhumane.
Key concern 22
Space constraints hinder healthcare provision, compromising safety and confidentiality during renovations at Tinsley House.
Source wording under review
Key concern 23
Toilets and showers in unrefurbished areas remain grimy and unpleasant despite overall acceptable cleanliness and welcome refurbishments.
Source wording under review
Key concern 24
Men vape freely throughout the buildings, and more effort is needed to restrict vaping to permitted areas.
Source wording under review
Key concern 25
While men are generally satisfied with food and dietary needs are met, there should be better provision of fresh fruit and vegetables.
Source wording under review
Key concern 26
The standard of healthcare provision is very concerning, with promised investments failing to deliver key improvements in staffing, culture, mental health support, and waiting times, as evidenced by numerous detainee complaints.
Source wording under review
Key concern 27
Approximately 12% of arriving men did not receive a health screening on arrival.
Key concern 28
Only about 35% of men receive a Rule 34 health assessment within 24 hours, largely due to poor understanding of its purpose, not informed consent.
Source wording under review
Key concern 29
Waiting times for Rule 35 assessments are unacceptably long, rising to 28 days and rendering this safeguard ineffectual.
Source wording under review
Key concern 30
Healthcare communication with detained men is poor, with reports of unawareness or short-notice scheduling of appointments.
Source wording under review
Key concern 31
Insufficient and/or poor use of interpretation in healthcare settings jeopardizes men's safety and wellbeing.
Key concern 32
The long-promised dental suite has not materialised, and the interim mobile service receives numerous complaints about quality and interpretation issues.
Source wording under review
Key concern 33
Too many men with mental health vulnerabilities are detained for excessive periods, with insufficient psychological or psychosocial support, focusing primarily on monitoring and medication.
Source wording under review
Key concern 34
Mental health provision at Gatwick focuses on monitoring and containing distress, primarily through medication, but there is insufficient psychological or psychosocial support.
Key concern 35
Only a small proportion of men participate in education or training.
Source wording under review
Key concern 36
Men report persistent difficulties in communicating with case owners, with mandatory monthly reports often delayed, missing, or inaccurate.
Source wording under review
Key concern 37
A chronic problem of delayed and inadequate access to legal representation persists for detained men, with lawyers failing to respond or follow up promptly.
Source wording under review
Key concern 38
Some men are detained for excessively long periods, primarily due to delays in obtaining emergency travel documents, with the longest stayer detained for over two years.
Source wording under review
Key concern 39
Access to legal support and family contact is negatively impacted by poor signal quality and account issues with the new smartphones.
Key concern 40
Men continue to experience long delays in bail accommodation approval, citing poor communication and follow-up from the Probation Service, with a pilot project showing no apparent impact.
Source wording under review
Key concern 41
Delays in progressing voluntary returns cause great distress, with some men experiencing the death of family members while awaiting departure.
Source wording under review
Key concern 42
The Home Office was inadequately prepared for Operation Hillmore arrivals, providing insufficient information, delayed translations, and lacking enough DET staff to manage queries.
Source wording under review
Key concern 43
PPG was unprepared and lacked capacity for Operation Hillmore arrivals, struggling with the high numbers of vulnerable men with complex medical histories and limited English.
Source wording under review
Key concern 44
The indiscriminate selection process for Operation Hillmore removals put vulnerable men at risk, including children and victims of torture who should not have been detained.
Source wording under review
Safety statistics
Incidents during the reporting year.
| Indicator | This year | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Deaths in custody | 0 | 1 |
| Prisoner assaults | 76 | 86 |
| Assaults on staff | 129 | 180 |
| Use of force | 557 | 785 |
| Drug finds | 21 | not recorded |
Population
| Population | 406 |
| Operational capacity | 624 |
| Time out of cell | 12.0h/day |
Applications to the IMB
| Category | Current | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation including laundry, showers | 10 | 15 |
| Bail and bail accommodation | 12 | 27 |
| Equality | 5 | not recorded |
| Finance including detained people’s centre accounts | 3 | 2 |
| Food and kitchens | 21 | 5 |
| Issues relating to detained people’s immigration case, including access to legal advice | 101 | 94 |
| Letters, faxes, visits, phones, internet access | 10 | 6 |
| Other | 24 | 9 |
| Property during transfer or in another establishment or location | 6 | 4 |
| Property within centre | 12 | 7 |
| Purposeful activity including education, paid work, training, library, other activities | 7 | 2 |
| Staff/detained people conduct, including bullying | 26 | 26 |
| Use of force, removal from association | 4 | not recorded |
Report details
- Establishment
- Gatwick IRC
- Type
- IRC, category IRC
- Report year
- 2025
- Published
- 2 September 2026
- Responsible body
- Gatwick IRC
- Recommendations
- 14
Service providers
| Service | Provider |
|---|---|
| Centre management | Serco |
| Dental services | Time For Teeth |
| Detainee welfare | The Samaritans |
| Escort contractor | Mitie |
| Healthcare | Practice Plus Group |
| Interpretation services | Big Word |
| Online education | iHasco |