To explain what an immigration detention centre actually is

[ThesebeautifulthingsthatIvegot]

AIBU to explain what an immigration detention centre is? We have a major political party stating that they want to build new detention centres in constituencies that vote for another party. But even they seem confused, if not intentionally misleading people. So I thought I'd save people a bit of Googling as there seems to be some serious misunderstanding. So below is a Google summary. Happy to be told I'm unreasonable for trying to educate people.

An immigration detention centre (or Immigration Removal Centre - IRC) is a secure facility where foreign nationals are held, often in prison-like conditions, while the government resolves their immigration status. These centres are used to detain asylum seekers, undocumented migrants, or those awaiting deportation.
Administrative Process:
Detention is not a criminal sentence ordered by a court, but an administrative decision often made by immigration authorities.
Purpose: Centers are primarily used for initial processing, establishing identity, or holding individuals for removal/deportation from the country.
Conditions: Despite not being prisons, many facilities are high-security with locked cells, limited contact with the outside world, and often managed by private companies.
Legal Standing: People detained often include asylum seekers and people whose visas have expired

If I knew I was going to be locked up if I went to a country illegally or overstayed my visa...guess what? I wouldn't do either.

So sounds like free bed and board to me. That’s ok for a non-national who is trying to get into the country. They can go back home if they want to.

I live around the corner from a centre where 100’s of men off the boats have been housed for several years now.

the men housed there are 100% free to come & go as they like. It’s nothing like a prison.

Yes it is not a detention centre. But reform are proposing building detention centres. Not instead of the centre you live near, in addition to. To house people who are due to be deported.

We're taking about detention centres. Whatever is near you is not an IDC or IRC.

Yes I understand that. It is also criminal offence to enter the UK illegally. Unless you claim for asylum and are granted it ultimately.

That specific law isn’t referring to asylum but it works alongside laws around asylum.

So I wonder why people are banging on about human rights then

@LadyVioletBridgerton it’s also interesting you reference US laws as well. The US has a far higher rate of illegal immigration than the UK. In fact nearly 5% of the population in the US is there illegally.

illegal Immigration laws work alongside asylum laws. But again the US has a much higher rate of asylum claims.

But overall the law is not dissimilar in either place with the US implementing the laws in a more punitive manner.

I wish I shared your confidence about Reform's chances of success.

With the left of centre vote split between Green, Labour, LDs, SNP and Plaid Cymru, I don't think it's inconceivable that Reform will end up as the largest party. They'll take votes from the Tories, too, there are plenty of Tory voters who don't think the Tories are right wing enough.

While I can't see them having an overall majority, I could see them forming some sort of arrangement with the Tories.

I bloody hope I'm wrong though.

I hope the tories don't do a coalition with Reform. I think they would end up watering down Reform's policies which are desperately needed and overdue.

I had a friend deported in late 90’s. I visited him in a detention centre before he was deported.

it makes sense. If people are going to be deported they do need to be detained & then sent back surely? The UK has too big a population & economy to just leave people alone & trust them to leave or turn up themselves on deportation day?

what’s the fuss about? You should get deported if you are caught being in a county illegally, & decline to leave voluntarily.

I think the main case against them, if they are well run and not abusive, is that they cost an awful lot of money. It’s very costly to detain people, you need the staff, the facilities. It’s billions. It also throws up so many ethical questions the main one being what do you do with families with children? When do you lock people up ? Some people would be on a legal pathway to regularisation already but technically not supposed to live here now? What about people who can never be deported (because there may be no diplomatic relationship with the country that they came from)? Do they just stay in detention forever, even though they may not be a danger to anyone?

It would be surely more effective to target the black economy where people who are illegal work.

It’s the kind of thing that sounds good (to some) but in reality it’s expensive and when it is done, people end up being cruelly treated. While the real answer of tightening regulations on businesses and employers, is something a party like Reform is very unlikely to do.