Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policy on migrant detention of the report published by Detention Action entitled, Without detention, on 26 September 2016.

The Government receives a large number of reports from a range of organisations (including Detention Action) and takes them into account, as appropriate, in developing its policies and strategies.

Our published policy is clear that alternatives to detention should be used wherever possible, and we will continue to use detention to tackle immigration abuse by enforcing removal when necessary. Depriving someone of their liberty will always be subject to careful consideration and scrutiny, and will take account of individual circumstances.

The Government commissioned an independent review of the welfare of vulnerable individuals in detention by Stephen Shaw. We accepted the broad thrust of Mr Shaw’s recommendations, including the adoption of a wider definition of those at risk, and we have strengthened our policies and processes for dealing with the detention of persons who may be vulnerable.