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  1. What we found

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Border Force short-term holding facilities

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Inspection report - Border Force short-term holding facilities (PDF, 1.4 MB)

Report on an unannounced inspection of short-term holding facilities managed by Border Force by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, 7 – 15 April 2026

What we found (Back to top)

Border Force had made some progress across its short-term holding facilities (STHFs), but significant weaknesses remained. Safeguarding practices were often inconsistent, detainees still could not access their prescribed medication, and some were held for too long. The Port of Felixstowe remained unsuitable and there was still no timetable for its replacement. More positively, conditions had improved in several STHFs and there had been no recorded self-harm or violence in the previous year.

Points to note: A new Immigration Detention Record was beginning to improve consistency in detainee care and safeguarding, while regular support visits from specialist Border Force staff helped to share good practice across sites. In Portsmouth, staff invited children’s social care services to visit the STHF to improve understanding of the needs of children held in detention.