Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many mobile phones have been issued (1) to individuals in immigration removal centres, and (2) to asylum seekers arriving in the UK after crossing the English Channel by boat, between 1 January 2018 and 30 June 2021.

The published Detention Services Order 08/2012 sets out the Home Office’s policy on detained individuals’ possession of mobile phones in immigration removal centres.

To enable contact with friends, family and legal representatives, where individuals do not have a suitable mobile phone, Home Office suppliers can provide temporary access to basic model mobile phones for individuals in detention, or those awaiting initial processing. These mobile phones are returned when individuals leave the respective centre.

No mobile phones are provided in Initial Asylum Accommodation, however; individuals can request a data sim card which enables internet access, for use during their stay.