Prison watchdog criticises lengthy detention periods at Dungavel caused by avoidable delays

In one case a detainee had been there for more than two-and-a-half years, which if given as a sentence in a Scottish court would require a sheriff and a jury and would only be given for a serious crime.

Inspectors from HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) visiting the centre near Strathaven in South Lanarkshire found that ten detainees had been kept for over ten months.

They said some people were being detained for lengthy periods because of avoidable delays caused by casework – particularly the processing of asylum claims.

The watchdog confirmed in an independent report that vulnerable people such as victims of alleged rape were being detained even though there is a presumption such individuals should only be locked up in exceptional circumstances.

However, many of the criticisms were directed at the UK’s asylum and migration system as opposed to the management at the complex itself which is privately run and is answerable to the Home Office.

Nick Hardwick, chief inspector of Prisons said: “At recent inspections we have reported on good outcomes for detainees at this institution and these positive outcomes were maintained.

“Indeed, our main concern was about matters that were largely outside of the control of the contractor, namely some very long periods of detention and some decisions to maintain detention of very vulnerable detainees.

“These included a documented victim of torture and a woman with serious health issues.

“It is to the centre’s credit that in our confidential survey and discussions with detainees, they nevertheless described their treatment in Dungavel in positive terms.”

The Scottish Trade Union Congress (STUC) would like to see Dungavel replaced with a different system for dealing with removals.

Grahame Smith, general secretary of the STUC, criticised the lengthy periods of detention and called for the practice of night-time removals from the centre to be reviewed.

He added: “It is simply unacceptable that one person was detained for two-and-a-half years and many more detained for over six months with little that staff can do to mitigate the mental anguish and damage to health that ensue.

“Our concern has always been that the individual experiences of the innocent people held at Dungavel could not be separated from the wider operation of the asylum system.

“The UK remains the only country in Europe which permits indefinite detention and it is simply impossible for any centre, supposedly designed for removal, to adequately mitigate such a barbaric system.”

A spokesperson for the Home Office said: “Detention and removal are essential parts of effective immigration controls, helping to ensure that those with no right to remain in the UK are returned to their home country.

“Decisions to detain an individual are reviewed regularly to ensure they remain justified and reasonable.”