«Outsourcing abuse» The use and misuse of state-sanctioned force during the detention and removal of asylum seekers

Asylum applications are a 14-year low, yet the proportional use of detention has increased 7-fold . The government is driven by seemingly arbitrary targets on deportation and has just announced a near doubling of detention centre capacity.

«Mass deportations» may follow if the government puts into effect its announcement made in August 2007 to deal with 450,000 unresolved asylum cases within 5 years or less. The increased use of detention and target-driven deportations may lead to further injuries and assault allegations.

There have been numerous inquiries into alleged abuse of immigration detainees over the years but we see no improvement. While the practice of using private companies for running detention centres and escorting of forced removals may contribute to a certain level of «see no evil, hear no evil», our understanding is that the Home Office is aware of an unacceptable level of alleged abuse through its own complaints procedure.

We consider the evidence in this report reveals what may amount to state sanctioned violence, for which ultimate responsibility lies with the Home Office .

Document:http://www.medicaljustice.org.uk/images/stories/reports/outsourcing%20abuse.pdf

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Outsourcing abuse