Yarl’s Wood is Britain’s most notorious immigration removal centre. Plagued by damaging allegations since it opened in 2001, cameras have never been allowed inside. Even the United Nations special Rapporteur for Violence against Women was barred entry. Now, Channel 4 News can reveal the shocking attitudes of guards towards vulnerable detainees. This report contains strong language and images that some viewers may find distressing.
Located 50 miles north of London in the Bedfordshire countryside, Yarl's Wood is the main immigration removal centre for women and families in the UK. Most of its near 400 detainees are failed asylum seekers who have committed no crime.
The private contractor Serco took over the management of the centre in 2007. It says its focus is "decency and respect" for the "residents" of Yarl's Wood.
But Channel 4 News has found numerous incidents of self-harm in the centre, raised concerns of the detention of pregnant women, and found guards showing contempt for detainees.
As a result of the findings, the Home Office has ordered "thorough and immediate investigations", while Serco has promised that the former barrister Kate Lampard will "carry out an independent review into our work at Yarl's Wood" in response to the investigation.
"We will not tolerate poor conduct or disrespect and will take disciplinary action wherever appropriate", they told Channel 4 News in a statement. It has already suspended one worker as a result of our investigation.
NOVEMBER 2001
Detention centre opens
FEBRUARY 2002
Fire in the building after a detainee protest
SEPTEMBER 2003
Centre re-opens after repairs
DECEMBER 2003
Daily Mirror investigation finds racism and violence
FEBRUARY 2006
Report finds "inadequate" systems for healthcare provision
APRIL 2007
Serco takes over running of the centre
MAY 2007
Hunger strike involving 100 women
APRIL 2009
Children's Commissioner finds minors denied medical assistance
JANUARY 2011
High court rules detention of asylum seekers' children unlawful
APRIL 2014
UN Special Rapporteur refused entry
NOVEMBER 2014
Serco contract renewed for eight years
'They're all animals.
Caged animals. Right?
Take a stick in with you and beat them up.'
THE GUARDS
Guidance from Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons says staff at detention facilities must "promote a respectful and safe environment".
It says a healthy detention facility is one where: "Staff address women using their preferred name or title and never use insulting nicknames or derogatory or impersonal terms." 90% of inmates in Yarl's Wood are female.
A separate Home Office ruling in 2013 said that male staff should not enter women's rooms without knocking.
The footage above shows a guard revealing that he had been accused of breaking this rule.
"Our male staff are not allowed to enter women's bedrooms and bathrooms without any warning, nor are they allowed to watch women showering, nor when naked, nor when in the toilet.
On the one occasion this year where it has been alleged that a male employee did watch females showering we have taken swift, disciplinary action and this individual has been suspended pending further investigation."
'What's that b***h in there for?
What's she in there for?'
'Headbutt the b***ch.'
THE KINGFISHER UNIT
This is the first ever footage from the most secretive part of Yarl's Wood.
Our undercover filming shows the inside of the Kingfisher segregation unit, where detainees are held as a punishment for committing offences.
Some of the guards' most aggressive language is directed to those held here. The clip below contains offensive language which some may find distressing.
'They are all slashing their wrists apparently.'
'Let them slash their wrists.'
SELF-HARM
On February 24 of this year the Home Office Minister Lord Bates told Parliament that there had been no serious incidents of self-harm at Yarl's Wood in the past two years.
When asked how many "suicides or serious attempts at self-harm" there had been in the centre in the past two years, he said: "the answer is, fortunately, none."
However, Channel 4 News has obtained figures through the Freedom of Information Act that show there were 74 separate incidents of self-harm requiring medical treatment in 2013 alone.
This is the story of Esther; one of two detainees to harm herself by jumping down a stairwell.
At the time of filming, Serco were yet to erect a barrier or net to prevent inmates from jumping down.
"We work hard to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all the vulnerable people in our care and last year the number of incidents of self-harm decreased. All incidents of self-harm are treated extremely seriously and any resident who self-harms is seen by a nurse, regardless of the severity of the act.
In the last eight years, there have been three occasions when residents have attempted to self--harm on stairs. We take all such incidents extremely seriously and on each occasion a thorough review was undertaken and actions taken with the individuals to prevent them repeating attempts at self-harm.
As part of these reviews the option of placing nets or barriers was considered but rejected as they would not be effective in preventing acts of self-harm."
'The man in the ambulance said she was bleeding so I thought maybe she was losing it.'
THE PREGNANCY
Official guidance says that pregnant women should only be detained in "exceptional circumstances."
Specifically, they should only be held if their removal is imminent; campaign groups question whether they should be in custody at all.
Now Channel 4 News has uncovered the story of a pregnant woman in custody -- who had suffered a miscarriage the previous day but still had to wait three and a half hours for an ambulance to take her back to hospital.
Watch the clip below to hear the distressing story in full.
Healthcare in Yarl's Wood is subcontracted to G4S, another private contractor.
"While this resident's miscarriage was understandably a deeply distressing experience for her personally, she received an excellent standard of clinical care from both G4S medical staff and the pregnancy unit at the local NHS hospital."
'He's about 85.
It's like your grandparents being detained...
He's not going to run anywhere.'
THE ELDERLY
Like pregnant women and other people from vulnerable groups, the Home Office says that the elderly should only be detained in "exceptional circumstances."
Our investigation found guards talking about the detention of a very elderly man inside Yarl's Wood. It is not clear what the "exceptional circumstances" leading to his confinement are.
Home Office:
'We expect... thorough and immediate investigations'
OFFICIAL RESPONSE
"The dignity and welfare of all those in our care is of the utmost importance -- we will accept nothing but the highest standards from companies employed to manage the detention estate.
Last month, the Home Secretary commissioned an independent review of detainees' welfare to be conducted by former prisons ombudsman Stephen Shaw, but these are clearly very serious and disturbing allegations which merit immediate scrutiny.
Serco has already suspended one member of staff. We expect Serco and G4S to conduct thorough and immediate investigations into all matters raised by this programme, and we will not hesitate to take whatever action we think appropriate in response.
All of our detention centres are part of a regular and rigorous inspection regime operated by Her Majesty's Inspector of Prisons. Lapses in standards, when they are identified, are dealt with swiftly and effectively.
A sense of fairness must always be at the heart of our immigration system -- including for those we are removing from the UK."
"We will not tolerate poor conduct or disrespect and will take disciplinary action wherever appropriate.
We work hard to ensure that the highest standards of conduct are maintained at Yarl's Wood and Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons has found the Centre to be a safe and respectful place. We are conscious that we are working in a particularly challenging environment at Yarl's Wood, looking after 300 women detained during the final stages of their removal proceedings.
The public will want to be confident that Yarl's Wood is doing its difficult task with professionalism, care and humanity. Accordingly, we have asked Kate Lampard, who has immense experience and credibility, to carry out an independent review into our work at Yarl's Wood."
-- James Thorburn, Managing Director of Serco's Home Affairs Business, which manages Yarl's Wood
