Abuse at Privately-Run UK Immigration Facility

Brook House Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) photo G4S

The Brook House Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) is located near the London Gatwick Airport. The IRC is run by G4S (bear with me on the acronyms), a privately-held and publicly-traded corporation that describes itself as a “leading global, integrated security company, specialising in the provision of security services and solutions to customers.”

The IRC is a facility for housing migrants – about 500 men – who are being deported from the UK. About half are foreigners who have finished criminal sentences in the UK. The other half are failed asylum seekers.

The BBC went undercover at the IRC and the video footage they obtained showed IRC employees “mocking, abusing and assaulting” those housed in the facility. They’ve described the conditions as “chaos, incompetence and abuse.”

Although the footage has not yet been released (the BBC will air it tomorrow), G4S has already suspended nine staff members. The company has also issued an official statement, which states in part: “There is no place for the type of conduct described in the allegations anywhere in G4S. Such behaviour is not representative of the many G4S colleagues who do a great job, often in difficult and challenging circumstances, across the country.”

-KitJ