Women face arduous night transits, watchdog says
Helen GroomA watchdog has said it is "very concerned" about the number of overnight moves to and from a women's detention centre.
In its latest annual report, the Immigration Monitoring Board (IMB) said the Home Office had made "no progress" on the longstanding issue at Derwentside Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) in Consett, County Durham, which is the UK's sole women-only immigration removal centre.
It said some women were moved multiple times from southern England to the North East with many taking place at night on journeys that were sometimes "arduous" and "inhumane".
The Home Office said it had improved safeguards and increased staffing to ensure the needs of detained women were met.
The IMB said many who arrived at Derwentside IRC were "tired or disorientated".
It also questioned whether transport contractor Mitie was given enough thought to women's welfare when planning transfers.
Last year, about 28% of journeys to and from the detention centre occurred overnight, compared to 27% in 2024.
About 1,284 women were placed in the centre in 2025 compared to 1,062 in 2024.
Women stay at the site on average for 25 days, according to HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP).
GoogleIn its report, the watchdog detailed concerning transfers including of a woman who was detained at a UK airport, moved to a detention centre overnight then moved again two nights later to the Consett site.
It also described one detainee who, over the course of five days, was moved overnight three times.
A Home Office spokesperson said: "This government inherited a substantially under-resourced immigration detention estate from the previous government, which we have successfully improved.
"We have taken significant measures since taking office to ensure the needs of women in immigration detention are met, including improving safeguards and increasing staffing levels."
A key reason for the number of overnight transfers is because the centre's nearest vehicle base is more than 100 miles (161km) away.
The IMB said it had been assured by the Home Office since 2021 that it would build a vehicle base at the Durham site which would reduce overnight transfers and the frequency of journeys.
But it said the building of this hub had continually been delayed and it had now been told it would not be operational before 2027.
"By that point, a significant number of women will have experienced avoidable harm as a result of inhumane journeys," it said.
"We regard this as unacceptable."
However, the IMB said it found transport crews treated women with respect and care and they were offered food, drinks and comfort breaks during transfers.
