Immigration Detention Reform in the UK: 2009-2019

The UK detention reform process is a work in progress: far too many migrants continue to be detained indefinitely, for too long and at huge cost. Alternatives to detention pilots are still being tested and have not yet been mainstreamed in a formal system to support a genuine minimisation of the use of detention.

Yet considerable progress has been made, in extremely difficult political conditions, with potential for a much greater long-term transformation. This 45-page report captures and details key learnings from the successes of UK anti-detention advocacy. The learning from this process could be valuable to inform strategising for change in other States and on comparable issues.