Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many incidents of (a) use, (b) misuse and (c) unlawful use of force have been recorded on the immigration detention estate in the last 12 months; and for what reason force was used in each incident.

The welfare of all those in our care is of the utmost importance. We will accept nothing but the highest standards from companies employed to manage the immigration removal estate.

Published guidance, and the training received by detainee custody officers (DCOs) makes it clear that physical force and restraint equipment should only be used after a thorough assessment of risk, and in consideration of each individual’s personal circumstances. Where restraints are used, they are removed at the earliest opportunity.

The Home Office reviews all reports resulting from a use of force to identify trends, ensure that techniques are used proportionally, are justified, and are used for the minimum period required.

All escort DCOs are fully trained in HOMES techniques (Home Office Manual for Escorting Safely) and custodial DCOs are trained in Control and Restraint (C&R). Quarterly transparency data on the number of use of force incidents using HOMES techniques and the number of use of force incidents where HOMES equipment was used can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-enforcement-data-Q2-2023. The Home Office does not publish C&R data.