An independent watchdog has raised concerns about safety, healthcare and the detention of vulnerable people at Gatwick Immigration Removal Centre.
The Independent Monitoring Board's annual report for 2025, published at the beginning of this month, found Brook House and Tinsley House remained "relatively volatile environments".
The board said detainees continued to report feeling unsafe and self-harm rates were higher than in 2024 - with monthly incidents peaking at 30 acts of self-harm by 14 individuals across both centres in June.
The board said there was also at least one allegation of an unprovoked act of physical abuse by an officer on a detained man, adding that "we understand this was witnessed by other officers and was being investigated."
Inspectors were also critical of the treatment of vulnerable people detained under Operation Hillmore, the UK-France returns scheme introduced in 2025.
The board said 43 people detained under the scheme claimed to be under 18 and 10 were later confirmed to be children and released to social services.
It added that "vulnerable individuals, including a significant number of children and victims of torture, have been detained who should not have been".
The report states that "no lessons appear to have been learned" from previous detention operations and criticised what it described as inadequate preparation for arrivals under the scheme.
Healthcare was another major area of concern. The board said only around 35 per cent of detainees underwent a Rule 34 assessment, which is intended to identify vulnerabilities at an early stage.
Inspectors also criticised long lock-up periods, saying detainees were confined to their rooms for around 12 hours out of every 24 hours. The report described this as "inhumane".
The watchdog said too many people with serious mental health difficulties continued to be detained and raised concerns about delays in vulnerability assessments and access to legal advice.
The board made a series of recommendations aimed at reducing the detention of vulnerable people and improving conditions at the centre.
For the eighth time, it called for a time limit on immigration detention and urged the Home Office to adopt a stronger presumption of release for people with vulnerabilities, while improving the safeguards used to identify and protect them.
The report also called for better interpretation and communication services, faster immigration casework and bail accommodation decisions, and shorter lock-up periods to give detainees more time out of their rooms.
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It urged authorities to improve access to legal advice and ensure detainees receive accurate updates about their cases.
According to the Home Office, IRCs receive robust statutory oversight from HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, the Independent Monitoring Boards, ensuring that detained individuals are treated with proper standards of care and decency.
A Home Office spokesperson said: "We take the welfare and safety of people in our care very seriously, and it is vital that detention and removals are carried out with dignity and respect.
"We carefully consider all of the IMB's recommendations and are working to strengthen support for vulnerable individuals across the detention estate, including at Gatwick."
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