David (not his real name) finished serving a custodial sentence over five months ago but he nevertheless remains in prison. He has been in the UK for over 20 years and has two children here. He is currently detained indefinitely under immigration powers in the very same prison where he served his sentence, while the Home Office pursues deportation action.
David is our client and a torture survivor. He recently tested positive for COVID-19. As a result, he was subject to a strict isolation period in which had to be locked in his cell for 24 hours per day and was allowed one shower per week. He told us that he used to enjoy going to the gym but since the isolation measures he couldn’t even exercise in his cell because he was unable to wash.
Immigration detention practices and locations have shifted considerably as a result of COVID-19, combined with the rush to remove asylum-seekers to EU countries before the Brexit deadline. One element of this that has received little scrutiny is the rising proportion of immigration detainees who are in a prison rather than Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs).
