read these quotes and see where you think they come from. which country has a system like this ?
“Distress of not knowing how long you are there for.”
“Some single rooms, but some sharing with 4 others you don’t know.”
“Especially bad if you have no ……… language skills, you don’t know your rights.”
“Language is a problem, and there is no interpreter , you are told by those interviewing you ‘?”
“There is no way to interpret what officers say.”
“Doors are locked and you have to stay in your room a lot. There are checks several times a day, when they knock and then just walk straight in”.
“You are spoken to badly and shouted at. Cameras are everywhere. If you argue they tie hands and feet and take you to …………. Prison.”
“There is not enough privacy. No respect or dignity. You have to share with others you don’t want to, and there are too many male staff. ” (quote from a woman)
“You get traumatised and disorientated”.
“When you complain your room is cold, you are told England is cold !”
“They threaten to separate couples if they do not cooperate. Threaten single people with ……… Prison”
“I was taken in for 2 months and (smart) phone taken away, so hard to get help or lawyer, you don’t know your rights at all”.
“Problem of fast track, is it is too fast to be able to collect evidence”
“It is difficult to take your case, on your own. The use of computers is half hour per person, maybe longer, but not if someone else wants to use it. Not all computers have a printer. ”
“Everyone gets soluble paracetamol for every health complaint.”
“Not enough medical staff. You cannot be escorted to health care when you need to be, as not enough staff.”
“The shop is not open after 5.00 pm and dinner is at 5.30 which is too early, as you get hungry in the evening.”
“I was told there is not enough money for special diets.”
“people are supposed to see the doctor 24 hours after arrival, but usually this does not happen”.
“I could not get a blood pressure check when I was pregnant.”
“Meeting people crying and behaving strangely is distressing. Being shouted at all adds up to bad experience. I was made to feel like a chicken with no head.”
“You are being counted all the time. Keep being told to get into your room. There is no dignity”
“If you seek emotional care, they suspect suicide and take everything from your room, shampoo etc. so you avoid asking for help”
“Support when released from detention does not exist”
“It would help to be with people from own culture”.
” there is no time limit, so you don’t know when release will come. ”
Don’t know if you have guessed, but it is right here in the UK. these are direct quotes that an LD4SOS member heard from those who have been in indefinite detention for immigration purposes. people who are locked up for administrative convenience, and don’t know how long they will be there for.
It is Liberal Democrat policy to end indefinite detention, and we are fully backing Detention Action in their part in getting evidence to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Immigration inquiry into detention in the UK