Detention
Valid: 24 November 2011 to February 2012
Interpreting the figures
The figures relate to people held in UK Border Agency removal centres, short-term holding facilities and pre-departure accommodation solely under Immigration Act powers. These people are referred to here as being ‘detained’ or ‘in detention’. Data are not available on those held in short term holding rooms (for less than 24 hours), police cells and prisons under immigration offences. The Immigration Statistics User Guide provides further details, including on the arrangements set in place for pre-departure accommodation.
Children are those recorded as being under 18 years of age.
Key facts
During 2010, 25,904 people entered immigration detention, a fall from 28,001 during 2009. Data for the third quarter of 2011 show 6,834 people entered detention, a slight increase from 6,771 in the third quarter of 2010. The detention estate capacity increased with the opening of Morton Hall immigration removal centre in May 2011, Larne House short-term holding facility in July 2011 and Cedars pre-departure accommodation for families with children in August 2011.
The number of people leaving immigration detention was 25,959 during 2010. Of these: 64% were removed from the United Kingdom; 28% were granted temporary admission/release; and 6% were bailed. Data for the third quarter of 2011 show 6,593 left detention, a slight decrease from 6,684 during the third quarter of 2010.
There were a record 2,909 people in immigration detention at the end of September 2011, although similar to the end of September 2010 (2,889). Since the end of June 2009, the number of people in immigration detention at the end of each quarter has remained above the 2,500 level.
The number of children entering detention has fallen considerably from the levels seen prior to December 2010 when the Government announced that it would end the detention of children for immigration purposes. In the third quarter of 2011, 30 children entered detention (including pre-departure accommodation). This is higher than the previous two quarters, when the Cedars pre-departure accommodation was not available and other accommodation were only receiving specific cases.
Data tables
Further data are available in detention tables dt.01 to dt.09.
Occurrences in detention
Of the 6,834 people entering detention during the third quarter of 2011, 6,180 entered for the first time; 542 entered for the second time; 56 entered for the third time and 7 entered for the fourth time or more since January 2009, the earliest recording point in this dataset.
Length of detention
Management information shows that, of those leaving detention during the third quarter of 2011, 4,494 had been in detention for less than 29 days, 969 for between 29 days and two months and 656 for between two and four months. Of the 474 remaining, 61 had been in detention for between one and two years and 36 for two years or longer.
Management information shows that of those people in detention at the end of September 2011, 1,272 had been in detention for less than 29 days, 516 for between 29 days and two months and 492 for between two and four months. Of the 629 remaining, 127 had been in detention for between one and two years and 53 for two years or longer.
Children
30 children entered detention (including pre-departure accommodation) during the third quarter of 2011, higher than the 18 in the second quarter of 2011 and three times as many as in the first quarter of 2011 (10), following the opening of pre-departure accommodation for families with children at Cedars in August 2011. Of these 30 children, 11 were children detained at Cedars, 15 were border cases detained at Tinsley House, 2 were detained at Yarl’s Wood and 1 at Brook House where the age was disputed and the people were later considered to be children, and 1 unaccompanied child visitor was held in Dungavel for less than 24 hours.
29 children left detention during the third quarter of 2011. Of these: 21 were removed and 8 were granted temporary admission/release. At the end of September 2011 there was 1 child in detention.
There has been an increase in the number of children being removed on leaving detention, despite fewer being detained; in the third quarter of 2011, 72% of children were removed on leaving detention, compared to 36% in the third quarter of 2010. At the same time, the proportion of adults being removed on leaving detention declined slightly.
Date: Thu Nov 24 09:30:00 GMT 2011