Asylum seekers and migrants detained under the Immigration Act suffer deteriorating mental health, a report finds.

Sixteen detainees assessed by a MŽdecins Sans Frontires doctor over a 10-week period in 2004 were found to have mental health problems, according to a report from charity Bail for Immigration Detainees.

Twelve of the 13 adult detainees, held in prisons and immigration removal centres, had medical conditions that required attention but health care staff were either unaware of the conditions or failed to help.

The study reveals that detainees who require more than a basic level of care do not have access to the same range and quality of health care as those in the community, as stipulated by detention centre rules.

The report recommends that a maximum length of detention be introduced and the detention of the mentally ill or those with serious medical conditions be prohibited.

• Fit to be Detained? from www.biduk.org