The Brook House Inquiry report, published in September 2023 examined abuse at Brook House occurring over several months in 2017. It found numerous instances of violent abuse against detained people, and routine, layered failures to care for and safeguard them, alongside a “toxic” and “dehumanising” culture. The Inquiry report itself observed that these problems were not isolated or confined to Brook House, and often persisted at the time of writing.
Earlier this year, JRS UK’s published After Brook House: continued abuse in immigration detention, a report examining the parallels between the practices and culture revealed by the Brook House Inquiry and recent and ongoing practices and culture across UK immigration detention centres.
The research showed clearly that mistreatment and abuse in detention continue today across different detention centres. This is deeply troubling, especially amidst government plans to expand the immigration detention estate.
Detention is harmful to mental and physical health, long and indefinite detention especially so, and detention as a whole is antithetical to human dignity. Detention cuts people off from family, friends, and wider society, and feelings of isolation and loneliness can be particular struggles over the Christmas and New Year period. This is even worse because a lot of people we support say they don’t feel like they’re treated as human when they’re in detention.
“They give you a number and that’s it, you’re just a number. In detention, nobody even knew my name”
The people we support find a great deal of support from our volunteer social visitors as a way of reconnecting with the world outside detention.
That’s why this Christmas, we’re inviting you to show your solidarity and support with people held in immigration detention by sending messages of comfort, connection, and encouragement.
Interested in writing a Christmas Card for those we accompany?
Here are our Top Tips:
- Use a friendly, generic initial address such as ‘Dear Friend’.
- Some of those we accompany will be victims of torture or trafficking, others will have fled conflict zones or their homes to seek asylum in the UK, and all will be going through a difficult and isolating time. Your message should be one of solidarity and accompaniment for those who are going through this particularly difficult time.
- We meet and accompany people of all faiths and none, so don’t assume your card will be received by a Catholic or Christian. We advise you not to include any overtly religious messages that could be alienating to someone depending on their faith or nationality.
- However, wishing someone a Merry Christmas or telling someone that you will remember them in your prayers is more than OK.
- Please don’t include your full name or contact details in the card
Cards should be sent to the JRS UK offices and we will distribute them in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Please leave your Christmas card envelopes unsealed and place them in a second sealed envelope to post them to JRS UK.
In order for us to distribute your card we will need to receive it by Friday 6th December.
Please send your cards to: JRS Christmas Cards 2024, JRS UK, The Hurtado Jesuit Centre, 2 Chandler Street, London, E1W 2QT.
If you have any questions or would like some more information, then please do get in touch: uk@jrs.net
