Foreign detainees are being held for lengthy intervals in jail regardless of finishing sentences for his or her crimes, a evaluation by the jail watchdog has discovered.
The report by HM Inspectorate of Prisons revealed that many migrants stay behind bars whereas “little or no progress” of their circumstances is being made.
One detainee was discovered to have been locked up for an extra 33 months earlier than a choice was made about their future.
Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor described that as “inexcusable”.
“If the Home Office started work on these cases earlier, then people could be processed out of the system far more quickly, and they wouldn’t have to wait around in prison beyond the end of their sentence, without having a clue about when they’re going to be let out or removed from the country,” he mentioned.
The report discovered that these stored in jail quite than immigration detention have been denied the identical rights.
“People in immigration removal centres will have better access to legal representation,” mentioned Mr Taylor.
“Also, services will be geared around making sure that things are translated, so they actually understand what’s going on with their case.
“There may even be extra Home Office workers on web site who will have the ability to help them with that course of.”
But in jail it was revealed that “very few” detainees are even advised they’re allowed a free 30-minute session with a lawyer.
There are presently round 600 immigration detainees being held in jail.
Home Office figures from final yr confirmed that 31 had been inside extra a than yr past the tip of their sentence.
Specialist immigration barrister Dr S Chelvan, of 33 Bedford Road Chambers in London, desires to see an entire overhaul of the system.
“We know from the report that nearly 50% of those interviewed don’t have access to legal representation. That cannot happen,” he mentioned.
“We need a change in culture. We need a change in policy decision making.”
The evaluation additionally highlighted considerations about probably the most susceptible detainees, whose previous would have been recognized had they been held in an immigration removing centre.
“When somebody is identified as a victim of torture or somebody who’s been trafficked, they will be given specific care including being released from detention,” mentioned Dr Chelvan.
“Because there’s no parallel effective mechanism in the prison service, these victims of torture are detained. This is wrong.”
In an announcement, a spokesperson for the federal government mentioned: “Foreign criminals who remain in prison ahead of removal include dangerous individuals who have committed serious crimes.
“The authorities has improved entry to authorized recommendation and ensures we rigorously think about an individual’s vulnerabilities.”
The Home Office is already implementing the report’s suggestions, however the longer such detainees stay behind bars, the extra strain it places on an already overstretched jail service.
Source: information.sky.com”