Mental health support for detainees at immigration removal centres ‘patchy’

Mental health support for people held at immigration removal centres is “patchy”, experts have warned.

A report said many detainees have been through traumatic events and they all face an uncertain future.

While some centres are providing good care for detainees, others are leaving people feeling as though they are not listened to or believed when they ask for help.

Mental health workers at immigration removal centres (IRCs) are facing “significant challenges” in caring for their patients, the report added.

The analysis, conducted by the Centre for Mental Health on behalf of NHS England, was based on interviews with staff and detainees and observations at 10 IRCs which held a total of 30,000 people in the year to March 2016.

The authors found that mental health support varies from one centre to another, and called for all IRC staff to be given specific training.

The report said IRCs should offer detainees psychological therapies, relaxation groups and peer support.

Report author Graham Durcan said: “People held in IRCs face serious challenges to their mental health. Many have been through traumatic events and all face an uncertain future.

“While not all will have a diagnosable mental illness, most will need some help for their mental health and benefit from interventions to support their wellbeing.

“At present, such help is patchy and often limited to specialist medical care.

“Our report concludes that IRCs need to be psychologically informed throughout.

“All staff should be trained in mental health awareness, proven psychological interventions should be offered when people seek help and crisis care should be available 24/7.

“We welcome NHS England’s commitment to improving mental health support in all IRCs and hope that the stepped care approach will ensure no-one is left without the help they need when they need it.”

The Refugee Council’s director of advocacy Lisa Doyle said: “Locking people up indefinitely in prison-like conditions can have ruinous effects on their mental health.

“Detention centre staff are ill-equipped to deal with these problems as they are exacerbated and often created by the institutions themselves.

“The best way to safeguard people’s mental health is to refrain from cruelly and unnecessarily imprisoning them in the first place.”

A Government spokesman added: “Detention is an important part of a firm but fair immigration system, helping to ensure that those with no right to remain in the UK are returned to their home country if they will not leave voluntarily.

“We are committed to ensuring that all detainees with mental health issues are given the treatment and support they need.

“We have increased safeguards for the vulnerable to ensure that they are detained only when it is absolutely necessary.”

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