Imagining a Better World - alternative approaches to irregular migration

A public inquiry into the mistreatment of people detained at Brook House Immigration Detention Centre has this week highlighted:

Severe abuse of those detained.
A hazardous physical environment.
Systemic dehumanisation and degradation.

Regardless of the merits of any person’s case to remain in the UK, we have a moral obligation to treat all people with the same dignity we would wish to be shown, should the situation be reversed.

Immigration detention can cause severe psychological harm to those detained, further compounding the trauma many detainees have already suffered.

One such example is Frank Ospina, a Colombian engineering graduate who came to the UK to visit his mother and tragically killed himself following a rapid deterioration of his mental health in immigration detention.

The UK’s immigration laws breach international human rights law by permitting indefinite detention, one of only a handful of countries without a time limit. The UNHCR define this as ‘arbitrary detention’.

It is extremely concerning that plans under the 'Illegal Migration' Act will vastly expand the UK's detention estate.

Alternatives to detention have been trialled and found to be more cost-effective and humane.

In 2020, supported by an incredible team at King’s Arms Project, I designed and led the Refugee & Migrant Advice Service, a programme funded by the Home Office and supported by UNHCR.

The aim of the pilot was to provide case management in the community for people at risk of immigration detention, providing them with high quality immigration advice to help resolve their status.

I am delighted to say that UNHCR’s evaluation found that the pilot:

Was significantly cheaper than detention.
Identified viable options for 80% of clients to regularise their immigration status.
Increased participants’ knowledge and confidence about their entitlements.
Increased participants’ self-esteem and wellbeing.

Our work demonstrates that holistic, trauma-informed approaches to immigration, which empower and treat people with dignity, are possible (and cheaper!).

The UK now needs bold moral leadership to implement the recommendations in the above reports and ensure we uphold our commitment to protect people in the most vulnerable situations.

I'll leave you with a quote from a woman who regularised her status through our alternative to detention pilot:

“I cannot really find the words to express my gratitude or to explain what your service meant to me. It came at a time when I was in the depths of hopelessness and in despair, I did not know who to turn to for help. Once I met you, you took away all that fear, you gave a sense of security and safety. Your help was so methodical, it was very orderly and effective that from one stage to another everything kept moving on, everything was progressing. I then received indefinite leave to remain. When I heard the news, the joy I felt was so deep, I was in shock for a few days, I could not believe that all of the hardship that I had been through had now come to this wonderful outcome. You and your team are extraordinary, I cannot describe the sense of safety that you brought. Initially I was so hopeless, no one had bothered to really listen to me, but with you I found you so accepted me and understood where I was coming from.”