The Reopening of Haslar Immigration Removal Centre: A Step Backwards for the UK
The recent announcement by the UK government that they plan to reopen the Haslar Immigration Removal Centre has been met with widespread criticism and concern. AVID is deeply concerned about this decision.
Written in 2022 by the Association of Visitors to Immigration Detainees, updated on 24th Jan 2025
The recent announcement by the UK government that they plan to reopen the Haslar Immigration Removal Centre has been met with widespread criticism. The Association of Visitors to Immigration Detainees (AVID) is deeply concerned about this decision. We believe it represents a step backwards for the UK's immigration detention system and the promised changes.
Haslar IRC, which was closed in 2015, has a troubled history of neglect. Numerous reports of mistreatment and inhumane conditions at the centre have led to its closure. Once, HMIP inspectorates(2011) described it as the 'worst accommodation in the immigration estate'. The decision to reopen Haslar IRC is a worrying indication that the government is not serious about addressing the problems that have plagued the immigration detention system in the UK and is also not committed to reducing the use of immigration detention in the UK.
The UK is one of the few countries in Europe with no time limit on immigration detention, and this decision to reopen Haslar IRC will only serve to prolong the detention of individuals, many of whom may be held for months or even years.
The reopening of Haslar IRC also comes at a time when the government is facing increasing pressure to address the inhumane conditions and abuse that is taking place in immigration detention centres. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the urgent need for reform in the immigration detention system.
We urge the UK government to rethink its decision to reopen Haslar IRC and instead focus on addressing the problems that have plagued the system for years.
Endless reports, so many first-hand testimonies from people who had experienced detention and their visitors, and many more parliamentary enquiries have collectivly said one thing only - Immigration detention is not fit for purpose and is created inherently to abuse our fellow human beings; this should be erased altogether from history!
What Can You Do to Stop Detention Expansion?
The fight against detention expansion requires collective action.
Here’s how you can make a difference:
Send a Freedom Bird:
- These artistic symbols, created by individuals with lived experience of detention, tell personal stories of suffering and hope.
- Download Freedom Bird templates and instructions to create your own and share them with your MP, on social media, or in your window.
- Follow our social media and newsletter to keep up-to-date with news on this campaign and call to action.
Support Local Campaigns
- Join Keep Campsfield Closed Coalition: A grassroots campaign opposing the reopening of Campsfield House.
- Support No Detention No Haslar: A local campaign fighting against Haslar IRC’s reopening in Gosport and Portsmouth.
Sign the Petition:
- Add your voice to the growing call for justice by signing this petition from a former Campsfield detainee.
You can call out the injustice - see an example social media post:
- The reopening of Haslar and Campsfield IRCs is a moral catastrophe. It disregards lived experience, ignores clear evidence of harm, and perpetuates a system that strips individuals of their dignity and freedom.
- "As AVID and partner organisations have argued in The Guardian, expanding detention is not the answer. Instead, we must dismantle this harmful system and invest in alternatives that uphold humanity, fairness, and justice. Together, we can stop detention expansion. Say no to Haslar and Campsfield. Choose freedom."
- Read the full letter and signatories here.
- Hashtags to use: #NoToHaslarIRC #KeepCampsfieldClosed #EndDetention #MakeDetentionHistory