Updates, commentary, training and advice on immigration and asylum law

Access to the internet at immigration detention centres

THANKS FOR READING

Older content is locked

A great deal of time and effort goes into producing the information on Free Movement, become a member of Free Movement to get unlimited access to all articles, and much, much more

TAKE FREE MOVEMENT FURTHER

By becoming a member of Free Movement, you not only support the hard-work that goes into maintaining the website, but get access to premium features;

  • Single login for personal use
  • FREE downloads of Free Movement ebooks
  • Access to all Free Movement blog content
  • Access to all our online training materials
  • Access to our busy forums
  • Downloadable CPD certificates

It looked for a while like banning this blog was all the rage. First there was some discussion on Twitter on which websites are banned within immigration detention centres, then the immigration tribunal presidents had a go as well.

Well, a Freedom of Information request has shown that there is no official policy on restricted access to websites within the immigration detention estate and that access to the list of specific websites I enquired about are all in fact permitted:

There is no policy or other documents outlining which websites are to be blocked or partially blocked for detainees in the immigration detention estate going back to February 2010. There would be a provision within the contract between the UK Border Agency and the service provider to put in place sufficient safeguards to ensure sites that fall within prohibited categories are screened out by blocking software. Prohibited categories include those you have mentioned such as betting, social media or pornographic websites.

Supervised internet access is provided in all centres for the purpose of enabling detainees to maintain contact with family and friends and their legal representatives. Unsupervised access to the internet has the potential to compromise estate security and can also be used for criminal purposes such as: – the viewing and distribution of pornography, for the viewing and distribution of material associated with terrorism or glorifying acts of terrorism and for time served foreign national offenders, inappropriate contact with victims. Access to social networking websites carries similar risks.

I can confirm that none of the websites you have listed fall within the prohibited categories so detainees can access them all. [added emphasis]

The listed website were (in no particular order):

www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk 
www.ukhumanrightsblog.com 
www.freemovement.org.uk 
www.biduk.org 
www.ncadc.org.uk 
www.aviddetention.org.uk 

Several lawyers and visitors have heard anecdotes of access to various legal websites being restricted, Bail for Immigration Detainees being perhaps the most controversial and outrageous, but the list of websites seems to vary from one detention centre to another and websites are added to and taken off the individual centre blacklists from time to time.

Hopefully this FOI request will at least ensure future access. Although if FM is banned then it will be a bit difficult for a detainee to access this blog post as evidence on which to base a complaint…

Relevant articles chosen for you
Free Movement

Free Movement

The Free Movement blog was founded in 2007 by Colin Yeo, a barrister at Garden Court Chambers specialising in immigration law. The blog provides updates and commentary on immigration and asylum law by a variety of authors.

Comments