Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre: Coronavirus

(asked on 25th March 2020) - View Source

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre has accepted new detainees since the start of the covid-19 outbreak; and what steps that centre is taking to ensure that new detainees are not exposed to that disease.


Answered by
Chris Philp Portrait
Chris Philp
Minister of State (Home Office)
This question was answered on 20th May 2020

The Government remains committed to removing those who violate our immigration rules and foreign national offenders. Detention plays a key role in securing our borders and maintaining effective immigration control. On that basis, Yarl’s Wood immigration removal centre will continue to accept new detainees.

All detainees received into Yarl’s Wood receive a nurse triage within two hours and are offered a doctor’s appointment within 24 hours.

In line with Public Health England guidance, measures such as protective isolation are considered on a case by case basis to minimise the risk of COVID-19 spreading to vulnerable groups in the immigration detention estate. Further measures including single occupancy rooms and cessation of social visits have been introduced in line with the Government direction on social distancing.

There are currently no cases of COVID-19 in immigration removal centres.

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