Short-term holding facilities at France-UK Borders
France-UK Borders - Inspection report (PDF, 2.2 MB)
Report on an unannounced inspection of the UK short-term holding facilities at France – UK Borders by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons accompanied by the Contrôleur Général des Lieux de Privation de Liberté (4–6 November 2024)
What we found
Overall, Border Force processed cases reasonably efficiently to minimise the length of detention, but there were still too many exceptions, with some people, including children, held over 10 hours.
Positively, the Calais Freight facility that confined clandestine travellers in rundown vans without clear legal authority had ceased. However, Coquelles Freight and Tourist holding rooms were in poor physical condition, and inspectors met exhausted detainees held in a stuffy, small holding room, with no access to showers.
Points to note: There were clear safeguarding issues, including no record of referrals for vulnerable detainees who were re-trafficked and a lack of data on Police Aux Frontières safeguarding referrals or the outcomes of age assessments. Poor phone signal undermined the use of professional interpretation services and, in one case, delayed a Border Force officer’s attempt to call for medical assistance.
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