Gulf in cell charges revealed by study

The immigration service has been paying the police three times
as much as the prison service to hold people in their cells.

A government study reveals that the immigration service has been
paying police an average of £360 for each 24-hour period for
holding asylum seekers, compared with the flat £110 rate paid
by the prison service.

The immigration service spent £11.2m on police cells in the
year to March 2004 and could make annual savings of £7.75m if
it secured the same rate as the prison service.

Talks between the Immigration Service and the Association of
Chief Police Officers are taking place to try to reach a similar
flat rate.

• Review of Resourcing and Management of Immigration Enforcement
  from www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk