A man has died while being held at the Brook House immigration removal centre near Gatwick Airport.
A security company that manages and operates the facility on behalf of the Home Office has reported that a 26-year-old man died at Brook House on Sunday.
The report found the safeguarding system at Brook House to be “dysfunctional,” exposing vulnerable people to actual harm. The inquiry recorded incidents when inappropriate force was used to manage incidents of self-harm and mental health crises.
In November 2023, a 37-year-old Albanian man died while detained at Brook House, after attempting suicide.
The government had agreed to implement only one of 33 recommendations by the inquiry, and last month Eves called for a “reset” on an “inadequate” government response.
‘Prison Architecture’
Paying tribute to the man who died on Sunday, the Gatwick Detainees Welfare Group, said in an X post: “On the death of a man in detention yesterday we send heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and everyone who knew and loved him.”The group that supports people affected by immigration called Brook House “prison architecture” and said “no one should take their last breath there.”
“We mourn that a young man died before he could be free,” it said.
Steve Valdez-Symonds, Amnesty International UK’s refugee and migrant rights director, called on the government to bring “humanity to the immigration system.”
“We despair at reports that yet another person has died in the Brook House detention centre. Our hearts go out to his family, friends and the fellow detainees affected by this tragedy too.
‘Continuing Failings’
Immigration removal centres at Gatwick (Gatwick IRC) also include Tinsley House, which is located about half a mile from Brook House and can house up to 162 male residents.“A disproportionate burden of the care of men with serious mental ill health falls on officers who are not trained or adequately supported to manage such complex needs,” the document said.
In the board’s view, the centres’ healthcare departments have failed to fully address concerns raised by the Brook House Inquiry.
The report recommended that any use of force should be risk-assessed on a case-by-case basis.