Resources and support groups

Visitor Groups

Visitors groups are groups of volunteers who visit Immigration Removal Centres, Prisons and Short Term Holding Facilities- anywhere a detainee may be held. Volunteers provide support, practical advice and friendship to detainees, and as such are often a lifeline for those in detention. You can find a directory of visitors groups on the website of AVID, the Association of Visitors to Immigration Detainees

Bail

Bail for Immigration Detainees (BID) exists to challenge immigration detention in the UK through the provision of legal advice, information and representation combined with research, policy, advocacy and strategic litigation. It provides its services to individuals held under immigration powers in immigration removal centres and prisons.

Medical Justice

Medical Justice is a charity that exposes and challenges inadequate healthcare provision to immigration detainees. Medical Justice challenge instances of medical evidence produced by qualified medics being ignored by the Home office and immigration courts, challenges instances of medical findings by unqualified Home Office officials and immigration judges, and writes medico legal reports. They also deal with medical abuse in detention, including denial of medication and treatment, access to hospital, testing and test results.

Detention Action

Detention Action supports people held in Harmondsworth and Colnbrook Immigration Removal Centres, near Heathrow Airport in London, and people held under immigration powers in London prisons. They also campaign for an end to detention without time limit and to the practice of detaining people because they have claimed asylum.