The Government has always been clear that those with no right to be here should return home at the earliest opportunity, and immigration detention is a vital tool in helping ensure those with no right to remain in the UK are returned to their home country. However, I take the welfare of those in the Government’s care very seriously. It is crucial that the health and wellbeing of all detainees is safeguarded at all times, which is why I am encouraged to see the Government implementing recommendations made in Stephen Shaw’s independent review of welfare in immigration detention.
As part of the Government’s response to this review, a new “adults at risk in immigration detention” has been implemented. This new policy strikes the right balance between protecting vulnerable individuals, such as those who have experienced sexual violence or who are suffering from mental health conditions, while also maintaining effective and proportionate immigration control. Initiatives such as the new approach to case management, with a clear focus on removal plans, and a new system of quarterly case management reviews will ensure that only those who should be detained remain detained. The expectation is that these initiatives will result in a reduction in the number of the most vulnerable who are detained.
Immigration detention must only be used sparingly where necessary and, wherever possible, alternatives to detention must be used. In practice, the majority of individuals liable to be detained at any one time are not detained but are managed in the community through the alternatives of temporary admission or bail, including the use of appropriate reporting and residence conditions or electronic monitoring. I should also highlight that the Government has ended the practice of detaining children for immigration purposes other than in very limited, exceptional circumstances.