Press Release – Brook House Public Inquiry Report

PRESS RELEASE – 19th September 2023

Brook House Public Inquiry Report

Commenting on the publication today of the Brook House Public Inquiry report, Gatwick Detainees Welfare Group (GDWG) Director, Anna Pincus, said: 

“Today marks an important moment. This is the first Public Inquiry to examine immigration detention in the UK. GDWG has been a Core Participant and thanks the Deighton Pierce Glynn team for representing the charity and to all the witnesses who are experts by experience whose courage in giving evidence has been outstanding. For over 25 years, GDWG volunteer visitors have supported people in detention and witnessed their suffering. The report highlights that a culture of change must prevail and that in view of the impact of the indefinite nature of detention, ‘those detained at IRCs, including Brook House, should only be kept there for a maximum of 28 days.’[1]”

GDWG has emphasised the human costs of indefinite detention for many years and welcomes the Public Inquiry Report finding that ‘it was clear from the evidence of detained people, those who worked at Brook House, NGOs, and inspection and monitoring bodies that indefinite detention caused uncertainty, frustration and anxiety for detained people, with a negative impact on their health and wellbeing’[2] and ‘contributed to conditions where mistreatment could occur more easily.’[3] The Inquiry could not have made the case for an end to indefinite detention more strongly. 

The Inquiry Report describes the prisonisation of detention, an ‘us and them’ toxic culture among staff with a lack of understanding of the power dynamic, a culture of impunity, inappropriate use of force on vulnerable detained people, attitudes of racism and toxic bravado and use of violence and violent language. In relation to safeguarding the report describes ‘a wholesale breakdown in the system of safeguards designed to protect vulnerable detained people.’[4] The catalogue of failings makes it imperative that the government does not persist with a planned increased use of detention following the Illegal Migration Act.

The Report states that the Home Office and G4S appeared reluctant to allow GDWG input and that this ‘would have benefited detained people and also those managing Brook House’.[5] Anna Pincus responded “The importance of the role of visitor groups around the UK cannot be underestimated. In the midst of the toxic culture described in the Report, GDWG visitors maintained an essential humanity, a humanity that was met with the threat of restricted access.

Today visitor groups across the detention estate are as necessary as ever. Whilst Inquiry recommendations provide hope for the future, there are thousands of people being caused harm in detention today. The Inquiry report says that there is still a long way to go[6]  and that ‘insufficient progress has been made to address culture within Brook House’[7] identifying ‘a comprehensive range of failings by the Home Office’.[8] The government must commit to implementing the recommendations from the Brook House Inquiry. We await details of the steps that will be taken in response to each of the important recommendations. Abuses must end and must end now.”

GDWG Trustee Pious Keku, who is an expert by experience having been formerly detained at Brook House and other centres, said:

“Immigration detention feels like being in prison. The system makes you feel less than human. I know from direct experience how damaging it is to be held indefinitely. For many, the harm, the nightmares last long after release. When people come to the UK, they should be treated with dignity and respect, and their human rights upheld. We hope the Brook House Public Inquiry Report will mark a turning point in how people are treated in detention and in recognising the need for fundamental change.”

Notes to editors:

1. The Gatwick Detainees Welfare Group (GDWG) is a charity that supports people during and after detention at Brook House and Tinsley House, at Gatwick Airport. GDWG works to improve welfare and well-being of people in detention by offering friendship and support, and advocating for fair treatment. We continue to offer support after release.

2. GDWG has been working for over 25 years and has helped over 20,000 people during this time.

3. GDWG was a Core Participant in the Brook House Public Inquiry.

4. GDWG Director Anna Pincus and GDWG Visitor Jamie MacPherson gave evidence to the Public Inquiry. GDWG also submitted written evidence to the Inquiry.

5. GDWG supports a number of individuals who gave evidence to the Public Inquiry about their experiences of detention at Brook House.

For further information or to request an interview, please contact:

Anna Pincus – Director, GDWG – 07804903157

Laura Moffatt – Vice-Chair of Trustees, GDWG – 07974318137

Marie Dewson – Chair of Trustees, GDWG – 07801950306

[1] The Brook House Inquiry Report, Kate Eves, Chair of the Brook House Inquiry, September 2023, Volume 2, p.69, para 62

[2] Vol 2, p.64, para 55

[3] Vol 2, p.67, para 59

[4] Vol 2, p.86, para 41

[5] Vol 1, p.63, para 40

[6] Vol 2, p.261, para 119

[7] Vol 2, p.257, para 114

[8] Vol 2, p.4, para 4.

GDWG Summer Newsletter

At a time when the Illegal Migration Act hangs over us all with its statement of intent to increase detention and thereby increase separation and isolation, we share our Summer Newsletter with you which celebrates many connections. Read more...

GDWG Statement on the passing of the ‘Illegal Migration Bill’

If you are a child migrant arriving in the UK in the months ahead, if you are a victim of modern slavery or someone who has been trafficked to the UK and you reach our shores, your future in the UK will be bleak whatever your reason for seeking safety. There will be no access to asylum as we have known it.

The Illegal Migration Bill passed the Commons and Lords yesterday and will become an Act of Parliament on Thursday. It represents a violation of the UK’s obligations under human rights and refugee law and will create a permanent asylum backlog and acute suffering for many people that will be framed by limbo years of destitution.

A future without detention is more out of reach today. Our volunteer visiting will be more needed, and our work together is going to be harder. Walking is more necessary. International solidarity is crucial.

It is going to be essential for all people of conscience including writers, artists, faith leaders, philosophers, and every person who recognises the terrible cruelty to work together in every way they can to build community responses that defy ice-hearted denials of human response to need. This is the lowest point. If the UK does not step back from this tragic choice, others will follow. 

Let this be a moment where we look at what has been done this week in our name, what it says about us all and draw collective breath and strength to take us away from the brink in our individual and collective responses. We shall keep listening, visiting, supporting, caring, walking, sharing, calling for change. Thank you for your support in the months to come. 

We need Advocacy & Support Volunteers

We are looking for new Advocacy and Support Volunteers to work with our detention casework team.

Our Advocacy and Support volunteers provide vital support to detained people, assisting with new enquiries from people in Brook House and Tinsley House and helping with non-legal casework support.

We ask our volunteers to commit to working with us one day a week for one year.

Typical day to day responsibilities of an Advocacy and Support Volunteers are:

Responding to messages and answering faxes and telephone calls from people in detention

Providing telephone support and ongoing emotional support

Responding to initial needs and prioritising urgent cases

Explaining the role of GDWG to new detainees who contact us and gaining their trust

Liaising with solicitors and other professionals – such as doctors and social workers

Assisting detainees to make complaints about mistreatment

Updating the database with relevant information

Assisting staff in running drop-ins and with follow-up

Please get in touch with karris@gdwg.org.uk if you are interested in applying for this role.

Spring Newsletter 2023

Our Spring newsletter contains news of walks in solidarity in the UK and overseas, how we have connected with other visitor groups around the country, news of training, about our work in local schools and colleges, and how a psychotherapist supports our work. We hope you will enjoy reading reviews of a book, a local musical event and the Refugee Tales launch, and seeing artwork by Ridy who is known to you through his film-making for the Walking Inquiry. The newsletter is written in the shadow of the Illegal Migration Bill, but, in community, our sense of hope is undimmed. Read…

GDWG statement on death at Colnbrook IRC

We respond to the news of a tragic death in Colnbrook IRC this week with our sincere condolences to the family of the person who died and everyone who knew them. 

When we know the identity of the person who died we shall remember their name.  

During the recent Public Inquiry into the mistreatment of individuals who were detained at Brook House Immigration Removal Centre in 2017, the harms experienced by detained people were laid bare. These harms continue today. Public Inquiry witnesses described a lack of safeguarding processes. Any death in detention raises questions about the applications of safeguards such as the use of Rule 35 reporting. 

Every day the human cost of detention is witnessed by our GDWG volunteers who support people overwhelmed by feelings of helplessness. We call for an end to detention and the harms inherent in holding people indefinitely that destroy people’s agency and hope. 

GDWG Director, Anna Pincus, said: ‘our visitors, staff, trustees and community are united in sadness at the loss of life in Colnbrook and for anyone in detention hearing the news, please reach out to the visitor groups in your area for support. You are not alone.’

Our response to the ‘Illegal Migration Bill’

We know our Visitors’ response to the ‘Illegal Migration Bill’ is to keep visiting, our Refugee Tales community will keep sharing the tales of people behind the headlines and our frontline team will always respond to the people they support seeing each person as an individual and giving a person-centred response accordingly. In the face of a Bill that embeds dehumanisation into law, we shall resist dehumanisation in all the ways open to us and at every turn.

You’ll have read that the Bill refuses people access to the asylum system and places a duty on the Secretary of State to remove people. People will be treated according to the way they travel to the UK and not according to their history and need for safety. The UNHCR have said the plan would breach the Refugee Convention and the Home Secretary starts the Bill with a statement that they are unable to say that provisions are compatible with the rights in the ECHR. The UK could be proved to be in breach of its international obligations under the European Convention of Human Rights. A number of provisions in the Bill have retrospective effect and retrospective law-making undermines the rule of law.

The Bill will be challenged, it is unworkable, and when we contemplate the reality of the policies, it is certain that they would lead to people suffering the pain of lives held in limbo and people locked up without a fair hearing of their claim for asylum. And even if the Bill is unworkable, we understand that the moment the policy intention was uttered, our lives were ALL damaged by the separating out of the rights of one group of people and dismantling of principles of human rights.

There are no safe routes for the people who come to the UK in small boats so the ‘Illegal Migration Bill’ will not end dangerous crossings. It will, however, fuel hostility to asylum seekers. This is something we must counter. We know you will be writing to your MPs. Tell them that instead of this cruel Bill, the government should create a system that prioritises safe routes to get here, efficient asylum processing and a UK strategy of welcome at local and national level. Do consider writing to your local councillors asking them to pass a motion condemning the Bill. We acknowledge that saying ‘put on your walking boots’ can feel a tiny response, but we encourage our community – all of you – to find ways to personally demonstrate how you see the world differently and walk a path of welcome and respect and we are stronger together. 

Statement from Anna Pincus, Director of GDWG.