Detained migrants ready to be deported beneath Labour’s ‘one in, one out’ scheme accuse the Home Office of ‘extreme psychological hurt’
Migrants who have been detained under Labour’s ‘one in, one out scheme’ have accused the Home Office of causing them ‘severe physical harm’ and have called on the UN to investigate their treatment.
Around 80 migrants have compiled a document about their experiences in the Harmondsworth immigration removal centre, one of two sites used to temporarily house migrants near Heathrow Airport as they await deportation to France.
They claim they have been unjustly treated by Home Office staff since arriving to the UK illegally in small boats.
The group, who have travelled to the UK from countries such as Sudan, Afghanistan and Iran, said they came to the UK for a chance to live a ‘peaceful life’.
They have accused the Home Office of subjecting them to arbitrary detention, denial of legal representation, inadequate medical care, degrading treatment and severe psychological harm.
They are calling on the UN and human rights groups to investigate the detention centres used for those awaiting deportation from the UK.
In the report, the migrants said they were not given time to rest or receive support after their journeys across the Channel and were rushed into detention centres, unable to contact their families.
They accused the Home Office of not providing medical treatment for a range of illnesses and issues which they claimed to be suffering.
Illegal migrants have complained about their treatment at Harmondsworth immigration removal centre (pictured)
A group of people thought to be migrants pictured being taken into Dover by Border Force today
They said detainees were also suffering from mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and insomnia.
The report states: ‘There have been multiple incidents involving individuals experiencing severe mental health crises, including self-harm attempts.
‘Detainees report being placed in isolation or disciplinary units. This environment has created constant fear, despair, and uncertainty, with detainees expressing that they feel dehumanised and invisible.’
They claim that their treatment ‘violates human rights’ including the principles of dignity and due process.
It comes as the Government announced new powers to seize mobile phones from illegal migrants arriving in the UK without police having to arrest them first.
Officers at the processing centre in Manston, Kent, where migrants undergo security and identity checks, will now use technology that can access data on the devices in a bid to gather intelligence on the smuggling networks.
The new powers come as part of government efforts to tackle small-boat Channel crossings and people-smuggling gangs.
It is hoped that this will aid investigations, and comes after the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act became law last month.
Migrants in France clambering into a small boat bound for Britain in July last year
The new law is also introducing a number of criminal offences, including sentences of up to 14 years in jail for storing or supplying boat engines to bring migrants to the UK.
Smugglers downloading maps on where to depart on small boats or researching the best places to buy equipment for dinghies could face five years in prison.
Some 41,472 migrants crossed the Channel last year – the second-highest figure on record. This was 13 per cent higher than the figure for 2024, when 36,816 migrants made the journey. The all-time high is 45,774 in 2022.
The first return flight to France this year under the ‘one in, one out’ scheme is due on Wednesday.
The controversial policy has been branded a joke after it emerged that Britain has so far accepted more migrants than it has sent back.
Official figures show that the UK has returned 193 people who crossed the Channel in small boats in the first two months of the much-vaunted scheme.
Yet over the same period, September to December, 195 asylum-seekers who have not previously tried to arrive illegally have been allowed to come here from France under the scheme. The Home Office originally said it would involve an ‘equal number’ travelling in each direction.
It is the latest setback for the deal agreed by Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron over the summer, following legal challenges and the farce of two men who were removed coming back in small boats soon afterwards.
Migrants wade into the sea to try to board smugglers’ boats in an attempt to cross the English Channel off the beach of Gravelines, northern France (Stock photo)
A Home Office source refuted the claims made by the asylum seekers.
They said individuals are advised of their right to legal representation, and how they can obtain such representation, within 24 hours of their arrival at an immigration removal centre (IRC).
The source added that detainees are offered free legal advice surgeries and are entitled to a 30-minute triage appointment which allows them to make contact with a legal provider that may provide further advice.
They claimed that all individuals are provided with mobile phones and can access landline or video call services on request to contact family and friends, with five minutes of free calls available anywhere in the world.
They said the sites have dedicated health facilities with a 24-hour on-site healthcare team, including mental health care, dental care and substance misuse treatment services.
A Home Office spokesperson said: ‘We do not recognise the claims relating to conditions at Harmondsworth. We regard the welfare of people detained in our care as being of utmost importance.
‘Protecting the UK border is our top priority. Our landmark one-in-one-out scheme means we can now send those who arrive on small boats straight back to France – striking at the heart of the criminal gangs’ business model.’
