Migrants were pepper-sprayed at a UK detention centre amid rising violence and “concerning” conditions, according to a new watchdog report.
The Independent Monitoring Board found serious incidents at Brook House Immigration Removal Centre near Gatwick surged from 4 in 2023 to 28 in 2024, with increased assaults, drug use, and protests. Force was used nearly 800 times last year, including twice with PAVA (pepper) spray.
Inspectors criticised the Home Office for detaining migrants linked to the former Rwanda deportation plan for “unacceptable” lengths—some held for a month after the general election, even when flights were known to be cancelled.
The report highlighted detainees with serious mental health conditions being held too long, including one man detained for over 400 days despite repeated self-harm, and a 68-year-old with dementia held for nine months.
Over 3,000 people were released into the UK in 2024, more than those deported.