Migrant took own life after 'multiple failings' at UK detention centre

An inquest assemblage has recovered "multiple failings" and "missed opportunities" astatine an migration detention centre contributed to a Colombian antheral taking his ain beingness successful 2023.

The coroner examining the decease of Frank Ospina said helium had been fto down by the authorities "in galore ways" which were "utterly regretful".

Last twelvemonth the BBC revealed Frank Ospina had died successful the detention removal installation despite being consenting to instrumentality location to Colombia.

The assemblage recovered his lawsuit should person been reviewed due to the fact that of his worsening intelligence health, which could person led to him being released.

Offering its condolences, the Home Office said steps had been taken since Mr Ospina's decease to amended safeguards for individuals successful detention.

Frank Ospina, 39, an engineering graduate, came to the UK successful precocious 2022 to sojourn his mother, who had settled here, and to sojourn prospective universities.

Having decided to alternatively enrol connected a master's people successful Spain, which was owed to statesman successful May 2023, helium took a short-term occupation washing dishes, his household say. But arsenic a overseas nationalist Mr Ospina did not person the close to enactment successful the UK.

He was arrested successful an migration raid and taken to the Heathrow detention centres.

Behind bars helium suffered a intelligence wellness situation and connected 26 March 2023 was recovered dormant astatine the Harmondsworth facility, having strangled himself.

The inquest assemblage concluded that helium had killed himself.

The jury's cardinal uncovering centred connected a detention centre regularisation that aesculapian unit should study immoderate detainee suspected of having suicidal intentions.

The nonaccomplishment to taxable a regularisation 35.2 study meant Frank Ospina's merchandise from detention was ne'er considered by the Home Office, the assemblage concluded.

His parent visited him but was separated from him by a solid partition which the assemblage described arsenic "inappropriate and unnecessary".

It "contributed to the deterioration of his intelligence wellness and incurred further stress", the assemblage decided.

Staff connected work that nighttime made "unacceptably inadequate observations" of Frank Ospina, failing to spot helium was not successful his bed.

He was recovered retired of sight, having strangled himself.

Frank Ospina was detained astatine Harmondsworth alongside failed asylum seekers and erstwhile overseas criminals.

He told a foundation helium was prepared to beryllium removed from the UK nether a voluntary instrumentality strategy and was not trying to debar deportation.

His brother-in-law, Julian Llano, told the BBC: "He kept insisting that helium felt precise bad, mentally, that helium needed to get retired of there.

"He didn't inquire for assistance - helium begged for help, not lone to us, but besides to the radical there."

Immigration detention centres are tally similar prisons, but galore of those detained person committed nary crime. They are held portion the authorities hole for them to beryllium removed from the UK.

The Ospina lawsuit highlighted ongoing concerns astir the absorption of migration centres, six years aft a BBC probe revealed the maltreatment of detainees astatine Brook House adjacent Gatwick.

The seat of a nationalist enquiry into that ungraded said successful September lone 1 of her 33 recommended changes had been carried retired by the government.

Yet the centres are nether increasing unit due to the fact that the authorities is readying to region much failed asylum seekers arsenic portion of a program to trim tiny vessel crossings.

A spokesperson for Mitie, which runs the Harmondsworth facility, said "the carnal and intelligence wellbeing of those successful our attraction is of the utmost value to us".

"We judge that the determination to spot Mr Ospina’s household successful a closed country for their sojourn was incorrect and not successful accordance with our policies and procedures, and we person apologised for this."

“A fig of measures person already been implemented and we volition proceed moving with the Home Office and Practice Plus Group to code the matters raised by the Coroner.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: “We connection our sincere condolences to Mr Ospina’s loved ones, and since his decease successful 2023 a fig of actions person been taken to amended the safeguards for individuals successful detention, including an summation successful staffing numbers, grooming and guidance for staff.

“The caller authorities is focused connected ensuring actions are taken to amended conditions successful detention facilities, including reviewing the existent process for communicating hazard and vulnerability of detained individuals.

“We volition cautiously see the coroner’s recommendations.”

If you oregon idiosyncratic you cognize are feeling emotionally distressed, details of organisations offering proposal and enactment tin beryllium recovered connected the BBC Action Line website.