Vulnerable migrants routinely handcuffed and detained for hours, damning report finds

"Vulnerable migrants held in UK detention centres are routinely being handcuffed, with some detained for hours, a damning report has found. Examples of unnecessary force included a 70-year-old small and frail man being handcuffed during a hospital visit, despite having no history of being disruptive, and another man subjected to rigid bar cuffs, a waist-restraint belt, as well as thigh and ankle restraints, for over four and a half hours."

"Force and restraints are only meant to be used as a last resort, but inspectors at the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB), who oversee prisons and detention centres, found this was being largely disregarded by immigration staff. The IMB's report, published on Wednesday, found that force had been disproportionately used against people recorded as vulnerable, and healthcare staff were not notified quickly enough when it did happen."

Vulnerable migrants in UK detention centres are routinely handcuffed and sometimes detained for hours. Inspectors at the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB), who oversee prisons and detention centres, recorded examples of unnecessary force, including a 70-year-old frail man handcuffed during a hospital visit despite no history of disruption, and another man restrained with rigid bar cuffs, a waist-restraint belt, and thigh and ankle restraints for over four and a half hours. Force and restraints intended as a last resort were often disregarded by immigration staff, and healthcare personnel were not notified promptly, with at least one case taking more than four hours to inform medics.

Read at www.independent.co.uk