Escaping persecution. Losing loved ones. Surviving smugglers & dangerous journeys. Reaching the UK. Being denied the right to work. Waiting months or years for protection. Living in fear of detention & return, all before rebuilding your life. PM Starmer: This is no "golden ticket".

People seeking asylum have survived torture, war, abuse, and the violent loss of loved ones. Under this scheme, they are now thrown into prison-like detention facilities and often trapped in small cells for up to 12 hours a day. Detention causes great harm to their health.

The scheme has been beset with foreseeable problems. Screening for vulnerabilities and age is not working and the system designed to get people legal advice has predictably failed. The only way to stop this chaos is to end this deal urgently: www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

People are arriving from Afghanistan, Palestine, Syria and elsewhere, seeking our protection, only to be locked in small cells and denied the support they urgently need. The new home secretary must change course and stop putting people in even more danger: www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...

Hear Fessahaye's story: he fled torture and slavery, only to be detained in the UK and threatened with removal under the new asylum deal. Detention is harsh, harmful, and wholly unsuitable for those fleeing war, torture, and persecution. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

As Shabana Mahmood MP steps into the role of Home Secretary, we urge her to deliver justice, fairness and compassion in the immigration and asylum systems, by ending indefinite detention and protecting the rights of people seeking asylum.

Would you or someone you know like to volunteer at Detention Action? Last year, our amazing Casework Team provided a lifeline to 630 people trapped in immigration detention, supporting them to stand up for their rights. Find out more: detentionaction.org.uk/get-involved/volunteer

From 2024 to 2025, the government detained 25% more people in Immigration Removal Centres. These are harsh, prison-like facilities where people are often locked in small cells for 12 hours a day. 1/3

“These people are so exhausted and so traumatised yet somehow they keep themselves so calm.” Hear from staff at the hidden Manston asylum centre speak about the treatment of people fleeing war, torture, and persecution to seek safety here. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

The government is detaining more than 100 people who crossed the Channel, in small cells and harsh conditions. Many have escaped war, persecution and torture and are living with PTSD, depression and anxiety. Detention is no place for people seeking asylum. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

1/2 Many people who cross the Channel to seek protection here have endured war, torture, sexual assault, and the violent loss of loved ones. Research shows asylum seekers are 8 times more likely to have PTSD and 2.5 times more likely to suffer depression.

In its asylum deal, this government accepts people seeking asylum via France, but only if it removes those who cross the Channel. This "transfer scheme" relies on other people risking their lives at sea, only to be locked up and sent back. This isn’t what a safe route looks like.

Along with 212 organisations, we call on all party leaders to end the divisive politics, racist rhetoric and demonising language of the past. Thanks to @refugeestogether.bsky.social for rallying everyone to this cause. You can read the full letter here: togetherwithrefugees.org.uk/far-right-re...

This government is now singling out an unknown number of people who crossed the Channel - detaining them, blocking their asylum claims and rushing them back to France. We stand firm in defending everyone's right to seek asylum.

Under the new asylum deal, some people crossing the Channel will be detained and sent to France, with their asylum claims not even considered in the UK. This government is denying people the right to seek asylum here simply because of how they reach the UK.

Home Office annual accounts reveal the shocking scale of unlawful detention for migrants in the UK. Whether a result of flawed decision-making, rushed deportation processes, or limited access to legal advice, too many people are being detained unlawfully and at too high a cost.

We condemn the recent violence targeting people seeking asylum. Politicians must recognise that dehumanising language and hostile policies fuel division. We urge this government to lead by example and offer support to people fleeing persecution. They deserve SAFETY, not cruelty.

The report states “a longstanding and fundamental problem was that all immigration detainees at Brook House, who should be held in relaxed conditions with minimal restrictions, were instead in an institution that looked and felt like a prison”

At Harmondsworth, one of the immigration removal centres inspected, there was suicide attempt when inspectors were on the site. Inspectors highlighted “a high level of unmet mental health need” and poor support to those at risks of self-harm.

The 2024–2025 annual report from HM Inspectorate of Prisons highlights significant issues within the UK’s immigration detention system, revealing that two major centres designed to hold about 1,000 people between them, were holding more people than they could properly manage.

For people in detention, a heatwave can be even more difficult to deal with. In many of these small cells, windows do not open and there is little to no ventilation. With the stress and uncertainty of indefinite detention, we are concerned about how this heat may harm people held by the Home Office.

Most people arriving in the UK by small boat are seeking our protection from persecution, torture, and the horrors of trafficking. Detention centres cannot provide those people with the safe conditions, psychological support and access to legal advice that they urgently need. 1/3

Published today, HM Inspectorate of Prisons' report shines a light on serious problems in the UK's immigration detention system. Two major centres - each able to hold around 1,000 people - "held more detainees than they could effectively manage". Other findings include... 1/5

Content Warning: Suicide and self-harm. Independent monitors have released their latest annual report on the UK's immigration detention system. The findings are disturbing, stating "vulnerable people were exposed to unnecessary harm", with high rates of self-harm and suicide attempts.

It's time for a time limit on immigration detention. As the House of Lords consider the government's latest immigration Bill, we've produced this briefing with Bail for Immigration Detainees, Medical Justice and ILPA. detentionaction.org.uk/2025/06/23/d...

People trapped in immigration detention face massive barriers to legal advice and representation. In a new article, one of our Casework Coordinators sheds light on why legal support is so essential for people to protect their fundamental rights.

Our volunteer, Ellana will be walking with us in the London Legal Walk today. Every donation you make will help support our casework team, as they answer calls from people in detention every day, connecting them with trusted solicitors. Donate Now: londonlegalsupporttrust.enthuse.com/pf/detention...

Only one week away from our team taking up the 10km walk in London Legal Walk. Our staff and volunteers are fundraising for our casework team to help connect people in detention to quality legal support. Support our walk and donate now: londonlegalsupporttrust.enthuse.com/pf/detention...

On the 17th of June our staff and volunteers will be covering 10km with the London Legal Walk, raising funds for people in urgent need of legal support. If you'd like to back our team, please donate here: londonlegalsupporttrust.enthuse.com/pf/detention...

For 10 years, the UK government’s “detained fast track” system put thousands of people seeking asylum at risk of persecution, torture and death. Now, the Home Secretary says she is keen to have a new fast-track system for asylum decisions and appeals. The government must not repeat past mistakes.

We’re back for the London Legal Walk! People in detention face incredibly complex legal systems as they fight for their freedom. Your donation can help someone access life-changing, free legal advice: londonlegalsupporttrust.enthuse.com/pf/detention...

Detention is harmful and the decision to detain a person should not be taken lightly. But according to Home Office statistics released today, 51% of people they detained were later released back into the community. This raises the serious question: why were they detained at all?

If you or anyone you know would like to volunteer with our incredible Casework Team, the application deadline is this Sunday 25 May. We're seeking Volunteer Visitors and Volunteer Interpreters to offer a lifeline to people in detention. Details here: detentionaction.org.uk/get-involved...

Though the horrific overcrowding may have improved, Manston still detains hundreds every day and the public has little knowledge of the conditions inside. With an expansion plan in place, we remain concerned about the treatment of people held there: www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

With a time limit, people can see the end of detention — and the hope on the other side. A time limit to detention will massively reduce this mental health crisis. #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek

People need to feel safe and free from harm to recover from mental disorders - detention strips away both. Research repeatedly finds that detention does not support recovery. #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek

Following the government White Paper this week, we've joined 100+ organisations urging the Home Secretary to listen to migrants and those who work with, support and stand alongside them. Without their insights and input, the government risks causing further damage and division.

Many people in detention live with past trauma. Detention locks them up, strips them of agency, and isolates them from their families and communities — all of which worsens their mental health. #mentalhealthawarenessweek

This #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek, we want to highlight how immigration detention harms mental health. Only when we acknowledge the harm, we can begin to fix it. Share this video and spread the word.

TW: Self-harm and suicide. The latest inspection of the Colnbrook detention centre shows that 35% of people had felt suicidal while held there. Many reported stress, depression, anxiety and self-harm. Over 6 months, at least 45 people had self-harmed in 73 incidents. #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek

This is #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek. The government is currently planning to detain thousands more people and to reopen disused detention centres. It's vital that politicians and the public understand the harm detention does to people's mental health, even after they're released.

This #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek we're highlighting the hidden crisis taking place in the UK's immigration detention centres. Prolonged confinement. The threat of deportation and separation from loved ones. Not knowing when they will regain their freedom. Detention is disastrous for mental health.

Today marks the start of #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek. Immigration detention harms mental health — a fact repeatedly voiced by people with lived experience and backed by research. This week, we're raising awareness of that harm. Follow us to learn more.

Can you give your time and skills to help people held in immigration detention and facing deportation? We're currently looking for Volunteer Visitors and Remote Volunteer Interpreters in specific languages to join our Casework Team in their vital work. detentionaction.org.uk/get-involved...

Our Director, James Wilson, has responded by saying: “The government risks feeding further division, dehumanisation and prejudice in our communities. It is the role of the criminal justice system to prosecute individuals, not whole communities.”

We're hiring! We are looking for a Fundraising Lead to help power our work defending the rights of people in detention. If you or someone you know would be a great fit, apply now or help us spread the word. More info: www.charityjob.co.uk/jobs/detenti...

Detention is a hidden corner of the UK's immigration system, where thousands of people each year are held in prison-like conditions, without a time limit. That's why we've put together this explainer, part of a series about the harm caused by immigration detention and what can be done about it. 1/10

Absolutely shocking accounts from people detained at the Manston processing facility in 2022, including a woman who says she was pregnant and unable to access medical care. She later miscarried. One man was denied a shower or clean clothes for 33 days. 1/2

We have shared our evidence - co-written with @medicaljustice.org.uk and @biddetention.bsky.social - with the Public Bill Committee for the Border Security, Asylum & Immigration Bill (2025), laying out for MPs the numerous failings and harm caused by the UK's immigration detention system.

Many cells in UK detention centres are smaller than an average parking space. People are detained there by the Home Office without a time limit, often for months or years at a time, locked in that tiny space for up to 12 hours a day. This has to stop. It's time for a time limit.