A 26-year-old man has died while detained at Brook House, a migrant removal centre in West Sussex run by security firm Serco. The centre, adjacent to Gatwick Airport, houses various detainees, including asylum seekers, individuals denied residency, and those awaiting deportation after serving criminal sentences. The Home Office extended condolences to the man’s family and friends following the incident on Sunday.
Brook House has been under scrutiny for years due to concerns over detainee treatment. In 2017, a BBC Panorama investigation revealed degrading conditions, leading to a public inquiry last year that highlighted mistreatment, including excessive force, inappropriate restraint techniques, and instances of racist and abusive language. The inquiry identified 19 cases of detainee mistreatment and reported ongoing problems like overcrowding, harsh conditions, and the presence of the drug Spice.
Despite the inquiry’s 33 recommendations, only one has been implemented, as disclosed by inquiry chair Kate Eves. Recent reports, including one by the Gatwick Independent Monitoring Board in August, point to “continuing failings” at Brook House. Human rights advocates and organizations, such as Amnesty International and Gatwick Detainees Welfare Group, have condemned the conditions. Amnesty’s Steve Valdez-Symonds stressed that the system’s failure to respect human dignity contributes to such tragedies, underscoring the need for reform within immigration detention facilities.
