DID YOU KNOW?

21st December 2018 by ficheb

Detention in the UK and closing pathways to detention

There are 10 detention centres in the UK holding 2-3,000 people at any one time. The UK detention estate is one of the largest in Europe.

In the year ending June 2017 27,819 people were held in UK immigration detained centres and 360 people were prison establishments for immigration offences. In the same year 48children were in the detention estate.

In the year ending June 2017, 12,542 people were removed involuntarily (enforced removals) from the UK. 1,970 out of the 12,542 people removed had previously sought asylum.

Also, in the same period, there was an increase of 4% from the previous year (44%) in the proportion of detainees being returned or ‘voluntarily’ departing from the UK on leaving detention.

In the year ending June 2017, there were 22,822voluntary returns not including returns from detention. For more information on this see the link below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-april-to-june-2017/how-many-people-are-detained-or-returned

Migrant Action: Closing pathways to detention

By providing information, advice & guidance, advocacy and access to justice, Migrant Action is providing vital early interventions that help to prevent migrants from detention pathways. Enabling social and economic integration of new migrants offer better alternatives to detention. We will also offer advocacy and practical support for people who are in detention (see Daniel’s story on our website).

Migrant Action also engages in Direct Action, research and campaigning for policy and system change. In November 2018, Migrant Action in collaboration with Dr Jonathan Burnett of the University of Swansea gave evidence at the Permanent Peoples Tribunal in London:

Indictment London

Migrant Action has completed further research on detention, see our full report at: https://migrantaction.org.uk/migration-briefs/reports/

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Who we are

Service provision for non-asylum seekers is undefined and limited. In Leeds, migrants seeking information, guidance, advice, advocacy and integration support struggle to find where to go to for help. Many vulnerable migrants are confined to the ‘edges’ of society and face daily, the real risk of exploitation, destitution, child poverty, detention, forced removal and deportations without access to justice. Vulnerable migrants with entrenched complex needs encounter restricted access to service provision which has far reaching implications for their health and well being.

Migrant Action is set up in response to this gap in service provision working with other vulnerable migrants who are not asylum seekers.Migrant Action is an Advocacy and Rights based organisation providing information, guidance, advocacy support and direct practical assistance to vulnerable migrants. Our work is primarily focused on migrants who do not fit into the ‘neat’ categories of migration including those who have fallen through the cracks of the system. Through our work, we create a safe space and enabling environment for new and vulnerable migrants to explore their issues and options in order to make informed choices.

By delivering early and proactive interventions, we aim to reduce vulnerability across categories of migrants and navigate positive pathways to integration. Through the support we offer, we mitigate the impact of the government’s ‘hostile environment’ policies on vulnerable migrants.
We do not work with asylum seekers and refugees but signpost them to the appropriate agencies.

Working in partnership with other agencies, Migrant Action facilitates access to justice, social integration and contributes to wider migration advocacy and policy change.

How do we do this?

We adopt an early intervention, prevention and proactive in our work with migrants.

Provide a welcoming and safe space
Provide information and guidance to help migrants make informed choices
Help migrants to navigate and access good legal/immigration services
Provide advocacy support and facilitate access to mainstream services
Support integration- help migrants navigate community and social networks, training, volunteering, employment and other pathways for social integration
Activism- Working with other agencies to advocate and influence policy and social change

Who we work with

Migrant Action is set up to work with Migrants who are NOT asylum seekers.

Vulnerable migrants (trafficked victims, unaccompanied minors, refused asylum seekers, irregular migrants and others who do not fit into the neat migration categories)
New migrants ( EU and Non-EU migrants)

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