UK

‘No Pride in Detention’: Campaign fights for LGBTQ+ refugees’ rights

Gabrielle Pickard-Whitehead 

31 August, 2024

LEFT FOOT FORWARD

‘Millions of people voted against the cruelty of the previous government and its mistreatment of those seeking sanctuary. Continuing with these plans is a missed opportunity for meaningful change.’

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Labour’s recently-announced immigration and asylum policies sparked outrage among many migration experts and campaigners, who warn that the lessons of Britain’s recent far-right riots have been overlooked. On August 21, the Home Secretary unveiled plans to increase deportations and expand immigration detention facilities, including reopening the controversial Campsfield and Haslar immigration removal centres.

Both sites were plagued with problems before they shut in 2019 and 2015 respectively, including hunger strikes and suicides, and the plans are being criticised as a backward step. Mary Atkinson, campaigns and networks manager at the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, criticised Labour’s announcement, accusing the party of escalating hostile immigration policies under the guise of security.

“This is nothing new – in fact, it’s the same approach that’s led to people dying at our borders, treated inhumanely in prison-like detention centres, and denied their rights,” Atkinson said.

Concerns over the welfare of LGBTQ+ immigrants in detention have escalated in recent months. A 2023 study by Brighton University revealed that LGBTQ+ detainees continue to suffer from harassment, bullying, and deteriorating mental health while in immigration centres. Conducted by Dr. Laura Harvey, a senior lecturer at the University of Brighton, and supported by the charity Rainbow Migration, the research examined the experiences of four immigrants detained for several months and one held in a Short-Term Holding Facility for 48 hours. The findings exposed incidents of verbal and physical homophobic abuse, including one immigrant who described being spat on for being gay.

“LGBTQI+ people fleeing homophobic and transphobic abuse and violence should be supported and welcomed, not locked in unsafe spaces that can cause further trauma. I hope that this research, as the first step in a larger project, will help improve the lives of LGBTQI+ people going through the immigration system in the future,” said Dr Harvey.

In response to the hostile climate involving queer migrants, Rainbow Migration has launched a ‘No Pride in Detention’ campaign, aimed at helping LGBTQ+ refugees navigate the challenges of seeking asylum in Britain. The campaign urges the public to ask their MPs to meet with Rainbow Migration and discuss ending the detention of LGBTQ+ individuals, who, the campaign warns, face bullying, harassment, and abuse simply for being themselves. The campaign is being supported by 37 different groups and organisations, with thousands of individuals taking action to advocate for change.

Left Foot Forward interviewed Carla Manso Garcia, communications manager at Rainbow Migration, who expressed disappointment at the new government’s resort to “cruel policies for those fleeing war and persecution in search of safety.”

“Fixing the asylum system doesn’t mean locking people up indefinitely or rushing to return them to countries they have fled. Immigration detention is harmful for everyone and further isolates and traumatises people that have gone through so much. For LGBTQI+ people detention can be even more damaging as they face bullying, harassment and abuse inside,” Manso Garcia said.

She highlighted the existence of compassionate, community-based alternatives to detention that are not only more humane but also cost-effective. “The government had previously pledged to end the use of barracks and hotel accommodation, and to procure dispersal accommodation within communities across the country. Particularly with the context of recent attacks on hotels, we would like to see plans put forward to ensure better housing conditions for people seeking sanctuary – and plans for be extended to immigration detention, so that no one is held in remote or unsafe conditions,” she added.

Manso Garcia emphasised that LGBTQI+ asylum seekers are particularly vulnerable to harm and face significant risks when forced to live in overcrowded conditions. “Detention centres in the UK are run by private security companies for profit and are notorious for their prison-like and unsafe conditions,” she continued.

“Millions of people voted against the cruelty of the previous government and its mistreatment of people seeking sanctuary, so continuing with the previous government’s plans is a missed opportunity for change. It’s time to build a more humane and compassionate asylum system instead. The harms caused by immigration detention are well established and in most cases people are released back into the community after detention – their time there having done nothing but isolate and traumatise them. Rather than expanding this cruel practice the new government should be investing in compassionate, community-based schemes that support people to resolve their immigration status with dignity in the community,” she concluded.

Image credit: Rainbow Migration