New report recommends alternatives to migrant detention in the UK

A new report has been launched today, highlighting the potential for community-based alternatives to reduce the detention of migrants in the UK.  ‘Without Detention – Opportunities for alternatives’ produced by Detention Action outlines how good practices across the UK and internationally could be built on to develop a systematic approach to migration governance, prioritising meaningful engagement with migrants and avoiding detention where possible.

The Government’s recent announcement of the closure of the Dungavel detention centre in Scotland highlighted the potential for a move away from detention.  The UK currently detains over 30,000 migrants a year, one of the largest detention figures in Europe.

Following on from scathing criticisms of the detention system and protocol in a recent Parliamentary Inquiry and the Shaw Review, this report recommends that alternatives to detention have the potential to lead to a long-term reduction in detention levels.