UK ‘should end’ indefinite detention

The UK should end the indefinite detention of immigrants, the United Nations refugee agency has urged.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid has pledged to look at the issue and plans to review how time limits on the detention of immigrants work in other countries.

The UNHCR’S assistant high commissioner, Volker Turk, said he hoped the study would result in limits being put in place, with detention only used as a “last resort”.

Mr Turk said he was “very encouraged” by Mr Javid’s commitment. “If, indeed, detention is unavoidable and it is the last resort that it is meant to be, there needs to be a time limitation put to it,” Mr Turk said. “I think we hope very much that in the course of this study … that indeed time limits would be the outcome.”

Mr Javid has told MPS he wanted a detention policy “based on not only what works to tackle illegal migration, but what is humane for those who are detained”.

Mr Turk said he was “heartened” by an apparent shift in public opinion.