10 December 201116 December 2022 4WardEverUK

Yarl’s Wood detains too many pregnant women, prisons inspector says

originally by: The Guardian
published: 7th Dec 2011

The detention of “too many” pregnant women at Yarl’s Wood immigration removal centre has been heavily criticised by the chief inspector of prisons, Nick Hardwick. Hardwick particularly highlighted the case of one pregnant detainee who had endured a four-day journey from Belfast to Yarl’s Wood in Bedfordshire via Scotland and Manchester airport, where she had collapsed.

The privately-run centre was the scene of a major riot and fire in 2002 and is now the main detention centre for women facing deportation from Britain. At the time of the inspection in July, it held 229 women and 27 male partners. Children have not been held there since December 2010.

11 February 201116 December 2022 4WardEverUK

New centres ‘to detain child asylum seekers’ and families

originally by: The Independent
4th February 2011

The Coalition is accused of watering down its promise to end the detention of child asylum seekers by setting up new centres to detain families refusing to leave the UK. The new “pre-departure accommodation facilities” will be run under a more lax system than the current imprisonment of failed asylum seekers and their offspring.

But the families will still be kept in “secure” units behind high fences for up to a week, reigniting concern over the Coalition’s flagship policy of ending child detention, announced by Nick Clegg in a fanfare of publicity last year.

Campaigners have long warned over the physical and mental impact of detention on children, 1,000 of whom were being held in British centres at the height of the practice in 2009.

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21 October 201016 December 2022 4WardEverUK

Deportee asked for help on flight before dying, witness says

originally by: The Guardian
published: 15th October 2010

An asylum seeker who was being deported on a flight from Heathrow begged passengers to help him moments before he collapsed and died beneath three security guards, according to a new witness who has spoken to the Guardian.

The witness – the third to come forward in the last 24 hours – raised questions over how quickly Jimmy Mubenga was given medical assistance after he lost consciousness on the flight to Angola. He said he was haunted by Mubenga’s pleas for help.