§ Mr. MalinsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many detention places for illegal immigrants, and failed asylum seekers exist and what plans he has to increase these over the next 12 months. [75426]
§ Beverley HughesAt present, there are 1,609 detention places in removal centres. This excludes the 900 places at Yarl's Wood removal centre, the operation of which has been suspended since March this year. In addition, there are 400 detention places at Oakington Reception Centre which are used to support the fast-track asylum process.
We remain committed to reaching the target of 4,000 detention places announced in the White Paper "Secure Borders, Safe Haven". The serious events at Yarl's Wood removal centre in February, and the subsequent need to suspend operations at the centre, were a severe blow to our programme to reach the target of 4,000 places. Plans to build a new removal centre (Logford) adjacent to the existing Harmondsworth Removal Centre, are in place and this will provide a further 300 detention places. We anticipate that the new centre will become operational in April 2004.