A new report from Independent Monitoring Boards (IMBs) has revealed that staff at a UK immigration centre wore England flags on their uniforms, raising concerns about potential bias and intimidation.
Immigration centres under scrutiny
The IMBs monitor prisons, short-term holding facilities (STHFs), and immigration removal centres (IRCs) operated by the Home Office. In their annual report covering 2025, they highlighted two occasions during the summer when staff at one STHF wore England flags on their uniforms.
The Board stated: 'The Board felt this risked perceptions of bias or even intimidation among detained people, especially in the light of recent anti-immigration protests in which flag displays were prominent.'
The report also alleged several cases where children were detained at Heathrow for almost two weeks due to delays in age assessments, despite rules stating that child detention 'should be avoided at all costs'. At Gatwick IRC, 20% of those subject to age disputes were assessed as children, a rate described as 'strikingly high' and indicative of serious safeguarding gaps.
A Home Office spokesperson responded: 'We do not accept this report's findings. We accept nothing but the highest standards of safety, welfare provision and staff behaviour for those in our care. This government inherited an under-resourced detention estate from the previous government. Since taking office, we have made significant improvements, including increased staffing levels and refurbishment of our facilities to improve conditions and safeguards.'
Prison conditions
The IMB report also painted a stark picture of prison conditions. At Bullingdon prison in Oxfordshire, a spider infestation led to two inmates being hospitalised and another being told he could lose his leg. At HMP Buckley Hall in Rochdale, 80 prisoners had to share four showers, and 150 shared one washing machine due to repair delays.
Perhaps most shocking was the case of a prisoner who died in a cell fire at HMP Garth in Lancashire because an alarm apparently failed to go off.
Prisons Minister James Timpson acknowledged 'positive improvements across the estate thanks to strong leadership' but said the government knows 'more needs to be done'. He added: 'To meet the challenge, our landmark sentencing reforms, alongside £4bn for 14,000 new prison places by 2031, will ease pressure, and we are tackling violence and drugs behind bars with over £40m invested in physical security to clamp down on contraband.'
