Widespread condemnation of government policy

By Sophie Goodchild

05 August 2001

Human rights organisations, lawyers and politicians all condemn the practice of holding asylum seekers in prisons and warn the Government is violating human rights conventions.

Sir David Ramsbotham, the former chief inspector of prisons, said prisons are "wholly inappropriate" for asylum seekers who have not been charged: "If I'd been [head of prison service] Martin Narey, I'd have refused to take them."

Neil Gerrard, chairman of the All Party Group on Refugees and MP for Walthamstow, said the Government had failed to commit to implementing existing asylum legislation that entitles any asylum seeker to an automatic bail hearing. "It's appalling," he said. "People who do end up in prison stay there a long time because there is no automatic bail hearing. There are cases of people who have been in over a year."

The Immigration Advisory Service has warned of the suicide risk to detained asylum seekers. Next week, Keith Best, IAS director, will hold an emergency meeting with the Home Office to demand that bail hearings are granted.

John O, spokesman for the National Coalition of AntiDeportation Campaigns, said the group was opposed to any form of asylum detention.

"Convicted prisoners are better off than asylum seekers," he said. "These people have not been sent down by a court of law. They are detained on a whim. They are also singled out for punishment: asylum seekers who have asked to wear their own clothes have been deprived of privileges."

Nick Hardwick, Chief Executive of the Refugee Council, called on the Government to bring an immediate end to the "grossly unjust" practice of using prisons to detain refugees, calling it "inhumane and degrading".