MPs have warned that unauthorised and potentially lethal restraint techniques may still be being used to carry out immigration deportations despite assurances from the UKBA and its private contractors. A commons home affairs select committee inquiry into the treatment of people being deported also found evidence of a racist culture among private security escort staff and a “too cosy relationship” between the UKBA and its private contractors.
The inquiry followed the death of Jimmy Mubenga whilst he was being deported from Heathrow to Angola back in 2010. Three of the G4S Security guards escorting him were arrested and are still under police investigation.
The report said that the Home Office need to issue urgent guidance on the danger of unauthorised restraint techniques that involve bending someone’s head forward whilst they are in an aircraft seat. Both the UKBA and the contractors have denied that any techniques to hold the neck or keep the head down were used.
The removal process was also hit with problems such as overcrowding partly because staff were “bored” and “didn’t have anything to do”. The report by the Home Affairs Select Committee said the case raised concerns about the number of staff, contractors would sometimes use on escorted removals and the cost to the Home Office as a result. It was found that more than 100 staff were used to escort just 35 illegal immigrants on a flight back to Jamaica.
It sounds like the UKBA have a lot of questions to answer.
