Indefinite detention is one of the ultimate threats underlying the UK’s hostile environment policies.
It is the process by which migrants – usually undocumented migrants or those who have had their asylum claim rejected – are held in prison-like conditions. The recommended time limit for holding individuals is 28 days, but in reality in Britain there is no legal limit in place- making Britain the only country in the European Union without a legal limit on immigration detention.
Indefinite detention causes significant and unnecessary harm and is a breach of human rights.
Write to your MP before 25th June
Right now the Immigration Bill is making its way through parliament and a new law has been proposed that would bring an end to this unjust system, but we need our MPs to vote for it.
This new amendment would:
- Make sure that no one is detained for longer than 28 days
- Put independent judges in charge not invisible Home Office staff
- Protect vulnerable people like torture and trafficking survivors from prolonged detention
- Only allow an individual to be detained for 96 hours without judicial oversight
- Change the criteria for detention, so it will only happen if it is strictly necessary to affect deportation and it is a proportionate response
Could you write to your MP to ask them to support this new amendment so that we can end indefinite detention once and for all?
Download a template letter here
You can find the details of your MP here.