We are deeply concerned by the government’s recent announcement to expand detention capacity in Immigration Removal Centres and to escalate removals and deportations. As an organisation supporting Black and minoritised migrant women, we firmly believe that this punitive approach will have detrimental effects on women and their communities.
In our work with Black and minoritised migrant women who are unjustly detained and placed in IRCs, we have witnessed the profound and lasting impact that immigration detention has on their mental and physical well-being, as well as the barriers it creates for accessing justice. Extensive evidence shows that detention centres are harmful spaces for people, particularly for women.
It is deeply troubling that these proposals come shortly after the racist, anti-Muslim and anti-migrant recent violence that targeted Black and minoritised and migrant communities in the UK. This reflects a concerning lack of acknowledgement of how hostile immigration policies fuel violence against those communities. Alongside Southall Black Sisters and other organisations, we have presented a compelling set of demands to the government to address the underlying causes of the recent far-right violence, including the UK’s responsibility to support refugees and asylum seekers in line with international obligations and an urgent call to end the hostile environment.
At Hibiscus, we call on the government to decriminalise the current immigration system, put an end to detention and reporting conditions, and ensure the protection of the rights of Black and minoritised migrant women.