This government is reviewing its policy on who is at higher risk in detention right now. We need your help to get them to recognise the dangers LGBTQI+ people face.
We know that immigration detention destroys lives, tears communities apart and has devastating consequences for those who are locked up with no idea when they might be set free. It is especially dangerous for LGBTQI+ people, who face harassment, bullying and abuse, including from staff and people they are forced to share locked rooms with.
Detention is a choice this government makes. There have been two pilot trials of compassionate alternatives to detention, where people received free, high quality legal advice and one-to-one support from a caseworker that was flexible and tailored to their individual needs – for example help with accessing healthcare, setting up bank accounts or social inclusion.
The results showed that these approaches are more humane, resulted in improved mental health and wellbeing, and are both cheaper and more cost-effective than detention. People were better able to understand their options and empowered to make informed decisions about their future. For LGBTQI+ people who have fled persecution, this meant having the chance to live openly and with dignity while claiming asylum in the UK.
So why is this government continuing to lock LGBTQI+ people in places they aren’t safe, when it benefits no one except the private contractors who are paid millions of pounds a year to run the UK’s detention centres? Since 2016, they have recognised that trans and intersex people are at serious risk of harm and should not be detained in most circumstances, but have so far refused to do the same for all LGBQ people.
Now is the moment to demand change, as the policy on who is at risk in detention is currently being reviewed. It’s long past time they extend that protection to the entire LGBTQI+ community.
Thank you for writing to your MP and spreading the word.