Campsfield House Immigration Removal Centre
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Campsfield House is a privately run Immigration detention Centre near Oxford, England. It has been the site of a number of protests from human rights campaigners and has seen a number of hunger strikes and one suicide. The former Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons condemned conditions at Campsfield House in a 2004 report. [1]
In March 2007, there was a riot at the centre after staff attempted to drag a detainee from his room. [2] In June 2008, a series of small fires were started during disturbances at the centre.[3]
History
Campsfield House used to be a youth detention centre, but it re-opened as an Immigration Detention Centre in November 1993. It originally had 200 places for both male and female detainees, however in 1997, capacity was reduced to 184 and the centre became male only. Capacity has now risen to around 215 bed spaces. Although the detainee population initially consisted of asylum seekers, since June 2006 new government policy has seen the population change to mainly (an average of 80%) former HMP prisoners. Campsfield is run by the American company GEO who are respopnsible for immigration detention centres in the U.S, Australia and South Africa. Campsfield House is their first European contract. GEO organise a free minibus to take people between Oxford railway station and Campsfield House. (See Zero-fare public transport for more info.)
Conditions
Detainees at Campsfield House are held behind a twenty-foot high razor-wire topped fence. Throughout the centre there are surveillance cameras, and friends and relatives wishing to visit detainees are searched before passing through five separate remote-controlled doors. There is an intrusive tannoy announcement system which can be heard everywhere, including the shared cell-bedrooms, however this is used as a last resort as detainees are allowed the use of mobile phones and the establishment can achieve contact through these. Campsfield House is not categorised in the same way as HMP prisons, and would fall short of category 'C' standard. Security of the centre is maintained by large perimeter fences, but within the establishment detainees are relatively free to roam. As opposed to cells detainees have two or three man rooms and communal shower and toilet facilities. There are around fifteen single rooms. The doors to rooms are never locked, however the gates to the three accommodation blocks are locked between midnight and six in the morning. Detainees are free to move around the blocks during this time. This relatively relaxed regime, coupled with the new influx of ex HMP prisoners has led to difficulty in maintaining discipline at Campsfield.
Controversy
Hunger Strikes
On the 22nd of June, 2005 a group of six Zimbabwean asylum seekers went on hunger strike for three days.
In August 2008, 13 Iraqi Kurds went on hunger strike and were joined by up a number of others. [4]
On 3rd August 2010, over 100 detainees whent on hunger strike in protest at being held for up to three years "no prospect of removal or any evidence of future release". [5]
Suicide
On 27 June 2005, Campsfield detainee Ramazan Komluca, committed suicide, the 19 year old from Turkey had been detained for about 6 months, and had made three unsuccessful bail applications.
2008 Fire and Disturbances
On 14 June 2008 a series of small fires broke out at the centre. 10 fire engines, 12 police vehicles and a police helicopter were dispatched to the centre, and a police cordon set up, at the request of the UK Border Agency, to secure the perimeter which is not believed to have been breached.[6]
Opposition to Campsfield House
The initial establishment of an immigration detention centre at Campsfield House was opposed by the local parish council, however they were overruled by the Home Office. The Campaign to Close Campsfield holds monthly demonstrations outside the premises, using the slogan 'Asylum seekers are not criminals'. They also publish the Campsfield Monitor which gives detainees accounts of what is happening inside the centre.[7].
In the 2010 General Election, Aaron Barschak ran as an independent candidate in the Witney consituency against David Cameron to hightlight the plight of Asylum Seekers and the treatment of people in Campsfield House. [8]. At the count he wore a sign around his neck which read "Close Campsfield House".
References
- ^ Report on an unannounced inspection of Campsfield House Immigration Removal Centre
- ^ Nine hurt in asylum centre riot BBC, 14 March 2007
- ^ More trouble at Campsfield Oxford Mail, 14 June 2008
- ^ Detainees go on hunger strike at Oxfordshire immigration centre
- ^ http://uk.news.yahoo.com/18/20100803/tuk-hunger-strike-at-immigration-centre-a7ad41d.html
- ^ Crews sent to immigration centre BBC, 14 June 2008
- ^ "Students Against Campsfield". Retrieved 2008-06-14.
- ^ "Barschaks Bid to Unseat Dave". Retrieved 2010-04-29.
Further reading
- Mass escape from detention centre BBC 5 August 2007. "Police arrested 12 of the detainees shortly after the mass escape. ... Police are looking for [another] 14 asylum seekers who escaped from a detention centre after a fire was started there."
- Campsfield's troubled history BBC, 6 August 2007, "There has been a long campaign to close Campsfield House. ... The escape of 26 detainees from Campsfield House in Oxfordshire is the latest in a series of disturbances to hit the immigration removals centre."