Immigration cells 'like kennels'

Many migrants are stopped at Calais before they reach the UK

UK officials treat some immigration detainees "like parcels, not people", the prisons watchdog has said.

Chief Inspector of Prisons Anne Owers reported that British-run cells in the French ferry port of Calais were so small, staff dubbed them "dog kennels".

She also criticised the detention regime at London's Heathrow Airport as being "neither humane nor efficient".

Immigration Minister Tony McNulty said the government would "respond fully" to the criticisms.

Group 4 Securicor, who runs the facilities in Calais, said there were positives in the report and that all of the issues raised would be resolved.

'Wholly inadequate'

Ms Owers' report criticised three immigration detention centres in France that she visited in August 2005 - Calais Seaport and the Coquelles tourist and freight terminals.

Detention: Prisons watchdog has criticised system

The three units are used to hold people found attempting to smuggle themselves into the UK in the back of a lorry or by other means.

She said staff were unsure whether French or English law applied, or if they could stop attempted suicides, fights or escape bids.

In her report, Ms Owers said accommodation at Coquelles freight terminal was "disrespectful and wholly inadequate" and "hygiene arrangements were insufficient".

Children detained

The Calais cells described as "dog kennels" were 13ft by 10ft (4m by 3m) with hole-in-the-ground toilets. The cells hold as many as six people - some for up to 17 hours.

There was little evidence of individual care within the immigration removal system Anne Owers

The facilities, run by Group 4 Securicor, had inadequate furnishing, ventilation and heating, said Ms Owers.

Eleven children were among 661 people detained at Calais Seaport between May and July last year - 17% of whom were given permission to enter Britain.

Ms Owers' report made 49 recommendations, including ensuring that an independent monitoring board gets regular access.

Gavin Windsor, of Group 4 Securicor, said the report was welcome, particularly the recognition that staff were caring and respectful.

"We will continue to work with the Immigration and Nationality Directorate to resolve all issues raised in the reports. We will take all actions necessary to ensure the safety and welfare of those in our care."

Decision-makers

In a separate report on temporary detention at Heathrow Airport, Ms Owers praised staff but said the system generally was inhumane.

"There was little evidence of individual care within the immigration removal system itself," she said.

"Some of those we observed in detention had been dealt with as though they were parcels, not people."

She said Heathrow's decision-makers were more "focused on cases, files and targets" than people, adding: "This is neither humane nor, in the end, efficient."

Mr McNulty said people should only be held very briefly in the cells, but he agreed that independent monitoring of the centres may need to be improved.

Maeve Sherlock, chief executive of the Refugee Council, called on the government to make sure children never end up in such centres.