Campaigners are urging the Home Office to urgently intervene in an escalating human rights crisis at Harmondsworth and Colnbrook Immigration Removal Centres near Heathrow Airport, following reports of suicide attempts and brutal treatment of people detained this past week.

More than 60 organisations including Refugee Council, The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, Migrants’ Rights Network along with community groups and individuals demand change in an open letter coordinated by Action Against Detention and Deportations.

On Sunday 25th June, people held in Harmondsworth and Colnbrook protested over their detention conditions, which they have described as a “human rights crisis”. During the protest, detention custody staff threatened some protesters with transfer to prison if they continued their protest. There were reports of hundreds of police, along with dogs, brought onto the scene and using excess force, intimidation and humiliation tactics to forcefully remove people and end the protest.

As punishment for the protest, more than 40 people have since reportedly been held in solitary confinement, including at least two individuals who have previously been found unsuitable for detention on health grounds but have not been released.

Send our open letter to the Home Secretary and demand:

1. Release of people held in segregation for alleged participation in the 25th June protest
2. Ensure proper medical care is given to people in detention, in particular those in urgent need and whose lives are at risk
3. Cease use of force and physical, mental and emotional harassment by detention staff