Detention Action

Detention Action Supporting people in immigration detention; campaigning for change. Many people are held for years in immigration detention in the UK.

They do not know when, if ever, they will be released. They cannot return to their countries of origin. Their civil liberties are ignored. Their detention is unfair and disproportionate. They are the forgotten people of the UK. Detention Action is campaigning to end to indefinite detention and making detainees' voices heard.

Children should never be subjected to the dangers of detention.Yet under the UK–France deal, the Home Office has held 76...
09/04/2026

Children should never be subjected to the dangers of detention.

Yet under the UK–France deal, the Home Office has held 76 age-disputed children in detention — a sharp rise from 28, our last documented figure in February.

Children wrongly classified by the Home Office as adults are being locked away in small cells, often alongside unrelated adults. In detention, they face significant barriers to accessing local authority-led age assessments, entitled care and support for children, and legal advice.

They are also at risk of facing use of force during detention and removal. Many children report nightmares, extreme fear, and a sharp decline in their mental health. Some also experience suicidal ideation.

We already know that immigration detention causes lasting trauma in adults. It is certainly not a place for children and, in this case, children who have to seek asylum on their own.

The UK–France deal must be halted to prevent further harm to adults and children fleeing war, violence, and persecution.

You may read the full story here: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/apr/05/uk-detained-age-disputed-migrant-children-one-in-one-out-scheme

Stand in solidarity with migrants by donating to Detention Action today. We offer advice and advocacy for people in dete...
06/04/2026

Stand in solidarity with migrants by donating to Detention Action today. We offer advice and advocacy for people in detention, always for free. Just £19 could pay for a volunteer to visit a person in detention. Visit detentionaction.org.uk/donate to find out more and give today.

This month, Detention Action and the Detention Taskforce on Survivors of Trafficking in Immigration Detention published ...
30/03/2026

This month, Detention Action and the Detention Taskforce on Survivors of Trafficking in Immigration Detention published a new briefing titled “Barriers to Disclosure: A Survivor of Trafficking’s Journey Through the Immigration Process.”

Drawing on frontline evidence within the Taskforce, the briefing highlights the recent experiences of survivors of trafficking in immigration detention.

It exposes two critical issues:
1. Survivors of trafficking are often not identified as such before or upon entering detention. Many face barriers to disclosing their experiences early in the process.
2. When survivors do disclose later, their accounts are often criticised as ‘late’, ‘last minute’, and treated as less credible. This reflects an inadequate understanding of trauma.

You may read the full briefing here: https://detentionaction.org.uk/2026/03/09/briefing-on-barriers-to-disclosure-a-survivor-of-traffickings-journey-through-the-immigration-process/

‘What you do truly makes a difference, and without organisations like Detention Action, many people would feel completel...
24/03/2026

‘What you do truly makes a difference, and without organisations like Detention Action, many people would feel completely forgotten.’
“Your work inspires hope and shows real humanity.”
- S, supported by our team while in detention.

This is why we do what we do - to bring hope to people trapped behind walls and to be their lifeline during a time of isolation and uncertainty.

Thank you, S!

You can help us keep going by making a donation - no matter how big or small: https://detentionaction.org.uk/donate/

It's more important than ever that we stand with migrants against hate and division. Detention Action has been offering ...
19/03/2026

It's more important than ever that we stand with migrants against hate and division.

Detention Action has been offering life-saving support and lifting the voices of people inside detention since 1993. We believe that everyone deserves the chance to stand up for their rights.

A monthly donation of £5 could help keep our phone lines open.
Go to detentionaction.org.uk/donate to give to our work - and show everyone that you stand in solidarity with migrants.

This government is planning to use force against children while forcefully removing families from the country. This week...
11/03/2026

This government is planning to use force against children while forcefully removing families from the country.

This week, the Home Office launched a consultation on its Use of Force Policy - indicating its intent to use force on families and children during enforced removals.

Let's be clear: using force on children is utterly unacceptable. Period.

We are deeply worried about the lifelong trauma this may inflict on young lives and demand this government to U-turn on this shameful policy immediately.

This government is planning to threaten families with destitution and enforced removal if they do not accept financial i...
10/03/2026

This government is planning to threaten families with destitution and enforced removal if they do not accept financial incentives to leave the UK.

Last week, the Home Secretary announced a pilot scheme offering money to families who have been refused asylum to leave the country. However, she made it clear that those who decline, including their children, will risk losing their accommodation and face enforced removal.

Families in this pilot scheme will be given just seven days to make a decision.

Forcibly removing families is pure cruelty.

Giving them only seven days will severely limit their ability to seek legal advice or access support from charities.

Additionally, this government's "carrot or stick" approach will inevitably scare some families into accepting the offer - simply to avoid destitution and the trauma of enforced removal.

We are deeply concerned with the devastating potential impacts of this policy on families and children, and strongly urge the government to halt this cruel scheme before it causes significant harm.

The Home Office released its latest quarterly statistics on detention and removals last week.The data reveals concerning...
05/03/2026

The Home Office released its latest quarterly statistics on detention and removals last week.

The data reveals concerning trends:
1. Nearly 23,000 individuals were held in detention in 2025, an 11% increase from 2024.
2. A growing proportion of those detained were being held in Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs) - prison-like facilities with no time limit on detention - rather than in short-term holding facilities.
3. Enforced returns related to asylum cases rose by 30% in 2025, the highest number since 2015.
4. A total of 2,550 people who arrived in the UK via small boats were removed last year - the highest number since records began in 2018.

What remains consistent over recent years is this:
the majority of people in detention - 52% in 2025 - were ultimately released back into the community.

Detention is harmful. Since 2025, this government has expanded detention capacity and locked away more people in detention centres, exposing them to significant risk of harm. This includes people fleeing war, violence, and persecution who have just survived a treacherous sea journey under the UK-France deal.

Yet, with the majority of people in detention ultimately released back into the community, and Channel crossing numbers rising, the question remains: what is the point of this government inflicting such harm?

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