Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers who have claimed to be a victim of torture have been detained at immigration centres.

Specific information on the number of those who have claimed to be a victim of torture who have been detained at immigration centres is not currently published.

However, all officials making decisions on asylum claims receive a dedicated five-week foundation training programme which incorporates all relevant aspects of international and domestic law. Within this programme there are specific sections on torture and medical reports, and how they should be considered and analysed in asylum claims. Medical reports will be considered together with other written and oral evidence in determining an asylum claim to ensure alleged victims of torture have their claims assessed fairly and sensitively.

The Adults at Risk policy came into effect on 12 September 2016 and governs the detention suitability considerations of all cases where vulnerability in immigration detention may arise. The policy can be viewed in full in the following link;

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/.../adults-at-risk-policy-guidance_v2_0.pdf