Letter from Cristel Amiss, Project co-ordinator, Black Women's Rape Action Project, to the Chair of the Committee, 18 June 2014
Re: Investigation into rape and sexual and other abuse in Yarl's Wood IRC
We understand from Simon Cox, the presenter of BBC Radio's File on 4, who is investigating allegations of sexual abuse by guards in Yarl's Wood IRC, that the Yarl’s Wood Serco Management Team are appearing before your Committee on Tues 24 June. In order for MPs to be fully informed before they hear from and question Serco, can your Committee take evidence from women who have made complaints about their treatment from Serco guards and other staff? You may have already spoken to some of the women whose allegations of abuse have been reported in the Observer and other media outlets but we know that some of those women have not had a chance to submit evidence to the Committee and in addition, since the Observer articles and film, new information has come out.
Some of the issues that your Committee may not be aware of include:
• The same guard being named independently by several women as being responsible for sexual abuse over at least four years. He is still working at Yarl's Wood.
• Negligent and damaging medical treatment by Serco health care staff. One staff member, who is still employed in the healthcare unit, was named by several women as systematically denying medical care to sick women.
• Several women reported in the past three days that they are being threatened by Serco staff for participating in an International Day of Action against Detention and speaking by phone to protesters who gathered outside Yarl’s Wood on Sunday. Women are worried they will be targeted by Serco management in future.
Ms Nozuko Mfaxa, currently detained in Yarl’s Wood, is one of several women who would like to speak to the Committee. She could do so by phone if a time could be arranged. On 27 May 2014, she wrote to Home Secretary, Theresa May (attached[1]). She has still not received an acknowledgement from the Home Office. What she documented about the detention of a Chinese woman who has been held for over two years and who was injured when she fell over, is very serious and should have been investigated immediately. As a result of Ms Mfaxa expressing her concern and helping publicise this, we heard that the Chinese woman has been released. We are sure the Committee would want to know why anyone has been held in detention for so long. You will know of course that the High Court has ruled in a series of judgments that detention for years with no prospect of deportation is unlawful.
Ms Mfaxa would also give evidence about the intimidation and threats she has faced from Serco staff since she wrote to the Home Secretary, spoke to the press, and facilitated other detainees speaking to protesters outside Yarl’s Wood on Sunday 15 June. It is bad enough that there is no confidential effective complaints procedure which would allow women to report abuse from guards without the risk of reprisals from those very guards (who may in addition have the power to ensure the continued imprisonment of women or even deportation), but when women decide to publicise their complaints in order that they be acted on, their right to free speech should be respected.
We have been working closely with both File on 4 and The Observer to publicise the abuse and serious human rights violations in Yarl’s Wood so that the public is informed and so that it is stopped. Yarl’s Wood holds many vulnerable women (our research found that 70% of detainees are rape survivors for example). The public is rightly horrified that women who have suffered in this way are being held in what appears to be a predatory and abusive environment in conditions reminiscent of the torture they fled from in their home country. Your investigation could be a turning point in holding Serco to account for allowing such a regime to flourish. It is vital therefore that the Committee is in possession of all the relevant information.
We appreciate it is short notice, but can the Home Affairs Committee receive a delegation of ex-detainees as soon as possible and accept phone testimony from women still in detention?
Cristel Amiss
Project co-ordinator, Black Women's Rape Action Project
Crossroads Women's Centre
June 2014
Annex A
Dear RT Hon Theresa May MP
My name is Nozuko Mfaxa from South Africa; I have been detained in Bedford Yarl’s Wood detention centre. I write this letter in desperate need of a change and justice for women who have been detained in Yarl’s Wood. I would like to inform you of the things that are happening and have happened in this place, before I take the matters further, because I have set my mind on getting justice for these women.
United Kingdom is a country that strongly believes in the rule of law and equality of rights for all. It’s unheard of and very uncommon for anyone to suffer under government officials in the United Kingdom, mainly because of their belief in the law. Everyone knows that in United Kingdom the law will fight and protect you.
I’m not seeking that you interfere with my case at all; I believe the law can fairly decide on that and judge, and I will accept the Judgement.
My concern is the treatment in this detention and all that is happening to women. I have been here for three months and I have personally witnessed and can proof everything I’m stating. I have experienced some very disturbing and inhuman treatment, some directly from immigration officers and I want Justice.
Yarl’s Wood Immigration removal centre holds about 300 women from different nations and backgrounds, some women have been tortured , raped, and had they children taken from them, rejected by family, abused by husbands, others are mothers, grandmothers, daughters, aunts and wives who are searching for better lives for themselves and for their families. Some are running for their lives seeking protection and help, some have lost all family members, some have been travelling for years looking for a place to call home. Some are looking for identity. This place is another torture to them presented in a different form.
Yarl’s Wood is a female detention centre, at least that’s what we told. In this so called female detention centre we have 80% male officers who work here, some are tall and huge very intimidating. At times of roll count which is (07:30, 12:00; 17:10; 21:45) they are allowed to enter our rooms, most of the time without knocking. On one occasion I was woken up by a male officer to get ready to go to court, this was very humiliating for me.
I didn’t understand why we had all these male officers in a woman detention centre, till, I found out when four man handcuffed and carried my friend to be escorted out of the legal unit to isolation unit (King Fisher), they lifted her and carried her like a bag of sand, while immigration officers watched.
Woman are handcuffed, pushed, lifted and carried by man escorts to the airport, this has happened to my friend Ruth from Eritrea, when they reached the airport the pilot refused to take her on board because of the treatment. She suffered bad injuries from the handcuffs and falling, when she returned from the airport her arms were swollen and bruised, procedure where not followed because she wasn’t taken to see a nurse. The following day the Serco managers called her to the unit office and apologised to her and told her it wasn’t them they took orders from immigration. They promised to help her, get a good lawyer, make sure there are no more removal directions for her, she shouldn’t worry. Later that day Ruth was taken to isolation Unit (king fisher) and officers packed her clothes for her. We looked for her and couldn’t find her, I asked the officers where she was and I was told that’s not my business, I then said I was going to call the police because we were aware she didn’t have any removal directions and he told me not to do that I would get into a lot of trouble. I did call the police and notified Guardian newspapers. I later received a call from Ruth telling me she had been successfully deported all bruised and all.
According to immigration laws in United Kingdom you have to have a right to work and anyone who hires an illegal immigrant will be fined and can face two years imprisonment, but Serco and UKBA are except from that law they can exploit illegal immigrants to work in detention for £1 an hour.
We have had horrible treatment from health care to the point of losing trust, we just never bother anymore. Paracetamol for everything, when people are feeling really sick they prefer call an ambulance and advise others to do so too, because we are told we are faking it. All they write is fit to fly. This year a lady died in this detention centre and I happened to witness that, it was one of the worst days of my life; this was very traumatising especially for my friend who has been here for two years, who is now lying in health care unit with a broken back. What do you do when you are in serious pains and the nurse tells you, we have seen you already stop wasting our time?
There is nothing human about Yarl’s Wood detention centre; it’s humiliating, shameful, demeaning and degrading to all women who pass through it. Sanitary towels are kept in the unit office and in front of male staff you have to go and get them; if they are not there you have to ask them.
ACDT Suicide Watch is the most humiliating thing people go through in this place. What it is an officer male or female sits by your open door through the day and night, guarding you, if you have a roommate who is on the watch you are automatically being watched.
The law is there to rule, women in Yarl’s Wood have found themselves here, some, out of bad choices others out of no choice of their own. Let the same law that Rules and Judges be the same Law to protect them.
Nozuko Mfaxa
27 May 2014
Annex B
Detention Services Complaint Registration Form
