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Border and immigration agency response to Robert Whalley's investigation into the disturbances at Harmondsworth and Campsfield House immigration removal centres

HOME OFFICE News Release (STAT012/2007) issued by The Government News Network on 25 July 2007

Responding to Robert Whalley's investigation into the disturbances at Harmondsworth and Campsfield House Immigration Removal Centres, Border and Immigration Agency Chief Executive Lin Homer said:

"Detention is an essential element in the enforcement of immigration
control. It is because we have become increasingly effective at
removing those with no right to live in the UK that we are meeting increased resistance across the detention estate.

"Work is already underway to expand and strengthen our removal centres -with a significant rebuild programme at Harmondsworth and the construction of Brook House near Gatwick underway.

"The private contractors who run the removal centres are taking very seriously the conclusions reached in this report and they are actively reviewing their procedures and operating arrangements.

"We have accepted the recommendations in this report in their entirety and indeed have implemented the necessary improvements in a number of areas. We will be carefully planning the implementation of the remainder over the next few weeks.

"It is vital that our immigration removal centres are well run in order to facilitate the removal process and to keep people safe."