​Campaigner calls Dungavel a human rights violation

Dungavel is a human rights violation and should be shut down.

Anti-racism campaigner Robina Qureshi made the call after the body of a Chinese man was found at the detention centre on Tuesday.

Officers from the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman are investigating the circumstances surrounding his death.

However Qureshi, director of refugee and migrant homelessness charity Positive Action in Housing, said the “psychological terror” faced by inmates at the centre and the fact several suicides had occurred, meant it wasn’t fit for purpose.

She hit out: “The fact that we know nothing more than that a Chinese man died is typical media crisis management on the part of the Home Office.

“We get to know very little about what goes on inside Dungavel or most detention prisons. It is worse than a prison.

“In a prison, you know what crime you committed and when you are getting out.

“What worse psychological terror can there be than to be locked up indefinitely despite having committed no crime?

“It’s about time this human rights violation was shut down.”

Plans were announced last year to close Dungavel at the end of 2017, with a short-term holding centre to be built in Paisley.

However, Renfrewshire Council's planning board rejected the application and the Home Office confirmed Dungavel will remain open.

A Home Office spokesman said: "We can confirm that a male Chinese national who was detained at Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre was found dead on 19 September.

"Our thoughts are with his loved ones at this very sad time.

"As is the case with any death in detention, the police have been informed and a full independent investigation will be conducted by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman."