The unmet mental health needs within Immigration Removal Centres in the United Kingdom present critical challenges. This study examines barriers to safeguarding and accessing mental health care through content analysis of nine His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons inspection reports. Key challenges were identified in two categories: institutional impacts and service provision. Institutional barriers include inadequate reception screening, inconsistent use of interpreting services, staff shortages, and limited awareness of vulnerability safeguards such as Rule 35 and ACDT processes. Service provision issues encompass significant staff vacancies, uneven access to psychological therapies, and unsuitable facilities. Although some centres exhibit promising practices, most struggle to meet detainees’ needs effectively. Detention practices, including indefinite durations and prison-like regimes, exacerbate mental health deterioration among detainees, many of whom have pre-existing trauma. Findings call for improved staff training, better interagency communication, and increased investment in mental health services. This study highlights the need for systemic reform to address mental health disparities and promote humane, effective immigration management. Further research should explore scalable, rights-based approaches to care and detention alternatives.
Hudson et al. (Fri,) studied this question.