North's asylum seeker policy criticised

The North's Human Rights Commission today hit out at the system of detaining asylum seekers at a controversial detention centre in Scotland.

At a seminar in Belfast, Chief Commissioner Monica McWilliams expressed grave concern about the Immigration and Nationality Service’s decision in January to transport asylum seekers who arrive in the North across the Irish Sea to Dungavel detention centre near Strathaven in Lanarkshire.

Three years ago, the centre was at the centre of a political storm in Scotland as asylum seekers detained at Dungavel went on hunger strike and a delegation of 10 MSPs condemned conditions at the isolated former prison.

Professor McWilliams said: “Following the detention of asylum seekers in Maghaberry Prison, Hydebank and Crumlin Road Jail in Northern Ireland, our commission challenged the immigration service not to put refugees in prisons.

“As a community coming out of conflict, we felt Northern Ireland should be able to relate to the plight of asylum seekers and offer refuge to those fleeing persecution.

“Holding asylum seekers and immigration detainees in prison goes against human rights standards. Asylum is a basic human right enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

“In January, a new policy was brought in which saw refugees who arrive in Northern Ireland being ferried over to Dungavel.

“We have serious concerns about this move, as they are being taken to an isolated location in Scotland, away from families and friends in the province and also away from their legal representatives.

“They are also being housed in a centre for people about to be deported.”

A delegation from the commission visited Dungavel in the past month. Professor McWilliams said they were not impressed with the conditions.

“The accommodation for men is in dormitories, with six to eight beds – that quite shocked me to see it in this day and age,” she said.

“Women are in a separate centre. Families are located there as well.”

The Commission also expressed concern about the difficulties encountered by those wishing to get case information on people detained in the North or in Scotland.

At the seminar to mark World Refugee Day, the commission also expressed concern about the lack of information given to migrant workers in the North about public services they could access such as health, social security benefits, housing and other entitlements.

The commission has agreed to publish in conjunction with the Law Centre and ANIMATE, a group involving community and voluntary sector workers and statutory bodies, a series of guides in a range of languages outlining migrants’ rights and entitlements.

The British government has agreed through the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to provide funding for the guides, which will be published later this year.