Refugee removal centre still closed

More than 130 asylum seekers who were moved to prisons after the
unrest at Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre are still in
jails a month later.

A Home Office spokesperson said Harmondsworth was going to reopen
“as quickly as possible” but failed to give a date. After the
disturbance it said it would be closed for “weeks rather than
months”.

Around 440 detainees were moved from Harmondsworth, west London, in
mid-July after a riot broke out when a man was found hanged. Lack
of space at other detention centres meant the 131 detainees were
placed in prisons across England and Wales.

Meanwhile, a study which looked at Home Office-funded projects
helping refugees and asylum seekers settle in the UK found almost
two thirds of the 404 interviewees identified housing as a priority
for improvement.

It also reported that refugees were still severely disadvantaged
compared to the rest of the population even two or three years
after their arrival. 

– The Impact of Home Office Funded Services for Refugees
from: www.homeoffice.gov.uk