§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will list the permissions granted to officials from Ministries of the Interior of foreign countries, and the number of detainees seen on each visit. [HL5222]
§ The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal)There has been one occasion where officials from a Ministry of the Interior have requested and been granted permission to visit immigration detainees in the UK. This involved a visit by an official from the Ministry of the Interior from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), during which six immigration detainees were seen.
Documentation interviews are occasionally carried out by various consular officials from Embassies and High Commissions in the UK to establish the nationality and identity of immigration detainees. It is not possible to provide data relating to these as it could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 4 November (WA 99), whether they will take steps to ensure that detainees held in prisons and removal centres under the Immigration Acts have the same rights to social visits wherever they are held. [HL5381]
§ Baroness Scotland of AsthalImmigration detainees held in Immigration Service removal centres and those held in prisons solely under immigration powers both have rights to social visits.
The extent and timing of visiting hours at each Immigration Service removal centre do not need to be identical given that individual centres have different operational priorities and may accommodate different categories of detainees. However, it is reasonable for detainees and their families to be able to expect a minimum standard of visiting arrangements and we are working towards this position.
Individual immigration detainees held in prisons for reasons of control and security have visits in accordance with procedures for which the Prison Service is responsible and no differently from other unconvicted prisoners with whom they are categorised and held. Arrangements for social visits to unconvicted prisoners, including immigration detainees, are set out in the Prison Service operating standard on prisoners' family life. It would be impracticable and undesirable to provide special visiting arrangements for a specific group of unconvicted prisoners, especially where the individuals concerned are unlikely to be held together.
340WAAs such, immigration detainees held in prisons will continue to receive social visits in line with the existing Prison Service operating standard.