Man, 26, dies at Brook House migrant removal centre

A antheral has died portion successful detention astatine the Brook House migrant removal centre successful West Sussex, the institution that runs the centre has confirmed.

Security steadfast Serco said a 26-year-old antheral died astatine the facility, which is located adjacent to Gatwick Airport, connected Sunday.

The Home Office said its condolences were with the man's household and friends.

Migrant removal centres location a scope of detainees, including asylum seekers, radical who person been refused the close to stay successful the UK, oregon radical awaiting deportation aft completing a transgression sentence.

There is presently nary maximum play for which detainees tin beryllium held.

A nationalist enquiry into the centre past twelvemonth described a toxic culture successful which migrants were subjected to degrading attraction and the inappropriate usage of force.

The nationalist enquiry was launched pursuing an probe by BBC Panorama successful 2017 prompted by a whistleblower who worked arsenic a custody serviceman astatine the centre.

The last study identified 19 incidents of mistreatment against detainees implicit a five-month play successful 2017.

They included unnecessary symptom inflicted connected 4 detainees, unsafe restraint techniques, and the forcible moving of detainees portion they were bare oregon adjacent naked.

The study besides said detainees had been the targets of racist, homophobic, and humiliating language.

The centre itself was recovered to beryllium overcrowded, dirty, and sound from craft astatine Gatwick, portion determination was besides wide usage of the alleged zombie cause Spice.

In August, a further study by the Gatwick Independent Monitoring Board, which monitors the centre, recovered "continuing failings", and past period Kate Eves, who chaired the nationalist inquiry, said the authorities had agreed to instrumentality lone 1 of her 33 recommendations.

The Home Office has antecedently said it is "committed" to improving migration detention facilities.

In a statement, foundation Gatwick Detainees Welfare Group compared Brook House to a situation and said "no-one should instrumentality their past enactment there".

"We mourn that a young antheral died earlier helium could beryllium free," it said.

Amnesty International UK's exile and migrant rights director, Steve Valdez-Symonds, called the decease a "tragedy".

"Brook House has gained notoriety for violence, racism and abuse," helium said.

"What portion this whitethorn person successful this man's decease we bash not yet know, but these degradations deduce from a wider nonaccomplishment to marque a strategy respect quality dignity and rights.

"Tragic incidents specified arsenic this emphasise wherefore the authorities indispensable bring humanity to the migration strategy arsenic overmuch arsenic immoderate different argumentation country - people's lives beryllium connected it."