Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, by what criteria asylum seekers are housed in detention centres.

Asylum seekers may be detained for immigration purposes only in accordance with Home Office detention policy, as set out in the Detention General Instructions, the Adults at Risk in Immigration Detention guidance and the Detained Asylum Casework guidance.

There are various factors which influence a decision to detain, as set out in published policy. In asylum cases concerning Foreign National Offenders, there may be a higher risk of absconding and harm to the public on release and therefore it will normally be appropriate to detain as long as there is a realistic prospect of removal with a reasonable timescale.