Internment of Immigration Detainees

In 1998 New Labour invited the UN Commission On Human Rights to visit the UK to inspect and assess the UK detention estate.

A Working Group On Arbitrary Detention visited the UK from 21 to 25 September 1998. The Group visited both detention centres and prisons. Among the detention centres the Group visited were Campsfield House Detention Centre, Oxfordshire; Harmondsworth Detention Centre, Middlesex; Haslar Holding Centre (HOHC) in Hampshire and Tinsley House (near Gatwick airport). The prisons visited were the prison at Rochester, Kent, and Wormwood Scrubs in London. The Group visited Heathrow airport, met with the Assistant Director, Mr. Alan Craig, and familiarized itself with the primary and secondary control areas, the asylum casework section, the holding area and other operations at Heathrow.

Their conclusions were published on 18 December 1998. They raised eight matters of concern.As at October 2001, five of the matters of concern had been completely ignored and three only partly addressed.

They made fifteen recommendations. As at October 2001, twelve of the recommendations had been completely ignored and three only partly addressed.

A copy or the recommendations and what has happened since the report are online at:

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