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

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