Dover immigration centre 'making progress'

17 December 2005

The UK's immigration centre in Dover is reportedly maintaining progress in moving away from prison culture and procedures.

The chief inspector of prisons, Anne Owers, has published a report on an unannounced short follow-up inspection of Dover immigration removal centre (IRC), one of three IRCs run by the prison service. Inspectors noted that the IRC has, since 2004, made progress towards systems that are more appropriate to detainees. Progress highlighted includes a new perimeter fence that allows for greater freedom of movement within the centre and improved first night arrangements.

The report praised the centre for reducing the risk of absconding and improving the management of suicide and self-harm. However, the inspectors raised concerns that ex-prisoner detainees arrived at the centre without sufficient information about their background, which posed risks, and staff carrying staves and retaining their prison uniforms when neither was necessary.

The report also suggested that there were fundamental problems at the centre with standards of cleanliness, the quality of catering and the lack of communal dining facilities. The IRC also came under fire for keeping detainees locked up in their units for too long. Ms Owers said: 'We continue to urge IND to fund expansion of rewarded voluntary work and move towards allowing paid work. 'We would also like to see the pilot welfare officer scheme at Haslar IRC extended to Dover and other centres, so that better preparations can be made for detainees' release or return to home countries. 'Dover's role has been confirmed, through a service level agreement, and it is now in a position to sustain and build upon the improvements that this inspection has recorded.'