Inspectors denounce children’s detention at Yarl’s Wood

Prison inspectors have added their voice to criticism of detaining children at the Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre.

Following an unannounced inspection last November prison inspectors are concerned about the detention of children and lack of activities available to women.

They noted that the centre had sought to improve conditions for children but questioned their detention in the first place.

Inspectors found that detention, “adversely affected children’s welfare” and “did not appear to be exceptional or necessary”.

Chief inspector of prisons Dame Anne Owers said: “The conditions, activities and services for children had improved significantly but this could not compensate for the adverse effect of detention itself on the welfare of children, half of whom were later released back into the community.” 

It was also found that the focus on improving conditions for children had come at a cost to the adult detainees.

Little was being done to improve the range of activities and education for women at the prison. This was a particular concern for the one in ten who were detained for more than six months.

Mental health assessments were lacking and there was “inconsistent” support for those at risk of self-harming.

Use of force when separating families or removing detainees from the Bedfordshire based centre in front of children was also called into question.

This is just the latest high profile criticism of the UK Border Agency centre, which is run by Serco.

In February the then children’s commissioner for England Sir Al Aynsley-Green renewed his calls to end the detention of children. His progress report said children experienced distress during the process of being arrested and taken to the centre.

Camilla Engeset, policy officer at the Children’s Society, and Addie Trude, research and policy manager at Bail for Immigration Detainees welcomed Owers’ report into Yarl’s Wood. “Our experience of working with children and families in detention at Yarl’s Wood strongly supports Owers’ assertion that ‘detention adversely affected children’s welfare’. There is no legitimate reason for the physical and mental health issues that are inflicted upon children at Yarl’s Wood,” they said in a joint statement.