Immigration centre slammed for holding pregnant women

An inspection of Yarl’s Wood found that 99 pregnant women had been detained at the establishment in 2014, despite a Home Office policy stating pregnant women should not normally be detained.

Of the 99 pregnant women held in 2014, 65 were held for less than a month, 30 for between one and three months and four between three and six months.

Only nine had been removed from the UK, with the rest released into the community.

Inspectors examined the cases of 12 pregnant women, and the recorded evidence suggested that eight of them should either not have been detained or should have been released earlier.

The report said there was "little or no recorded evidence of the exceptional circumstances justifying their detention".

Inspectors also interviewed a woman who was 15 weeks pregnant with her first child.

She said found detention "stressful" and was "anxious and scared", particularly at night.

"Before entering detention she was taking vitamin supplements prescribed by her doctor in the community," the report states.

"These ran out while she was in detention and the healthcare department failed to order more in time.

"Health care did prescribe her iron tablets but these were past their ‘use by’ date."

The report also raises concerns about the treatment the woman received when she went to health care complaining of back and abdomen pain, dizziness, breathlessness and nausea, and waited an hour to see the GP.

"After having her blood sugar and blood pressure checked she was advised to eat and drink normally and to take paracetamol for the pain," the report states.

"This advice did not concur with the local protocol for antenatal services which stated that women who present with pain need immediate assessment and referral to accident and emergency or a labour ward if necessary."

Overall, the inspection found that conditions at the centre, which was holding 354 people, mostly women, at the time of the visit, had deteriorated since the last inspection in June 2013.

A survey of the detainees found that 54 per cent of the women held said they felt depressed or suicidal when they first arrived.

Meanwhile 45 per cent of women said they felt unsafe due to reasons including the uncertainty of their immigration status, a poor introduction to the centre, poor healthcare and too few visible staff on the units.

Chief inspector of prisons, Nick Hardwick, said Yarl’s Wood is failing to meet the needs of the most vulnerable women held.

“These are issues that need to be addressed at a policy and strategic management level,” he said.

“We have raised many of the concerns in this report before.

“Pregnant detainees and women with mental health problems should only be held in the most exceptional circumstances.”

Hardwick said the inspection has also identified new concerns around the quality of health care and general staffing.

“Yarl’s Wood has deteriorated since our last inspection,” he said.

“In my view, decisive action is needed to ensure that women are only detained as a last resort.

“Other well-respected bodies have recently called for time limits on administrative detention, and the concerns we have identified provide strong support for these calls.”