After many voices of concern were raised about the treatment of refugees, His Majesty's Inspectorate of Prison inspected Yarl's Wood immigration removal centre near the town of Bedford in the UK. The findings of the investigation are horrifying and thought-provoking.

The inspection report lists various methods of violence used against the refugees in Yarl’s Wood. According to witnesses, one migrant had their finger broken by one of the immigration officers. A large number of migrants were held for long periods of time despite being declared unfit for further detention in the centre. Some refugees should have been under hospital care, but staff at Yarl's Wood centre failed to ensure this.

There was also a reported case of a man, previously a victim of torture, being held in the centre for more than a year. The Prisons Inspector, Charlie Taylor, in an interview with The Independent said that "rapid action" was needed to improve conditions at the centre and ensure immigration cases are processed quickly.

Officers of His Majesty's Prison Inspectorate discovered that two staff members at Yarl's Wood were committing sexual harassment of migrants. According to data collected by the inspectorate, almost half of the refugees housed at the centre had suicidal thoughts due to the long waiting times for immigration status decisions.

An estimated 13 people fled the centre fearing for their safety. The charity Freedom from Torture said in an interview with The Independent that Yarl's Wood, which houses almost 350 migrants, is a "desperate place where vulnerable people, including survivors of torture, are left to languish in their cells".

Source: The Independent