Haslar Immigration Removal Centre
Encyclopedia
Haslar Immigration Removal Centre (formerly known as Haslar Prison) is an immigration detention
centre, located in Haslar
(near Gosport
), Hampshire
, England
. The centre is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service
.
, housing adult male offenders. However, from 1989 Haslar started exclusively holding foreign national
prisoners.
In February 2002 Haslar was redesignated as a Removal Centre, and began operating under Detention Centre rules.
during documentation procedures and during the process of removal or deportation. Only detainees awaiting deportation or appealing against their immigration status are held at Haslar. The vast majority of the population are ex-foreign national
prisoners who have either completed their sentence, or have had their sentence “cut short” to speed up the deportation process.
The centre's living accommodation is divided between six dormitories (sized from 10 beds to 37 beds) which are divided into open cubicles of 1, 2, 3 or 4 beds. Detainees have free movement and association within the centre at any time, giving them the ability to organise their own days.
The CNA (Certified Normal Accommodation) is due to rise from the current 160 to 199 early next year. D dormitory that used to be the largest dormitory having 37 beds, has increased the population following the installation of bunk beds.
Courses offered by Haslar's Education Department (managed by Highbury College
) to detainees include ESOL, Food Hygiene, Health and Safety, Business Skills and Information Technology
. The centre also has a library
, gym
, and multi-faith chaplaincy.
The detainees also have a flat screen TV and DVD player in every room and play bingo on Saturday and Sunday evenings enabling them to win up to £4.50 each game.
Immigration detention
Immigration detention is the policy of holding individuals suspected of visa violations, illegal entry or unauthorised arrival, and those subject to deportation and removal in detention until a decision is made by immigration authorities to grant a visa and release them into the community, or to...
centre, located in Haslar
Haslar
Haslar is place in England, at the southern tip of Alverstoke, on the Gosport peninsula, Hampshire. It takes its name from Anglo-Saxon hæsel-ōra = "hazel - landing place"...
(near Gosport
Gosport
Gosport is a town, district and borough situated on the south coast of England, within the county of Hampshire. It has approximately 80,000 permanent residents with a further 5,000-10,000 during the summer months...
), Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The centre is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service
Her Majesty's Prison Service
Her Majesty's Prison Service is a part of the National Offender Management Service of the Government of the United Kingdom tasked with managing most of the prisons within England and Wales...
.
History
The establishment was previously known as Haslar prisonPrison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
, housing adult male offenders. However, from 1989 Haslar started exclusively holding foreign national
Foreign national
Foreign national is a term used to describe a person who is not a citizen of the host country in which he or she is residing or temporarily sojourning. In Canada, a foreign national is defined as someone who is not a Canadian citizen nor a permanent resident of Canada...
prisoners.
In February 2002 Haslar was redesignated as a Removal Centre, and began operating under Detention Centre rules.
The centre today
Haslar holds those detained by the UK Border AgencyUK Border Agency
The UK Border Agency is the border control body of the United Kingdom government and part of the Home Office. It was formed on 1 April 2008 by a merger of the Border and Immigration Agency , UKvisas and the Detection functions of HM Revenue and Customs...
during documentation procedures and during the process of removal or deportation. Only detainees awaiting deportation or appealing against their immigration status are held at Haslar. The vast majority of the population are ex-foreign national
Foreign national
Foreign national is a term used to describe a person who is not a citizen of the host country in which he or she is residing or temporarily sojourning. In Canada, a foreign national is defined as someone who is not a Canadian citizen nor a permanent resident of Canada...
prisoners who have either completed their sentence, or have had their sentence “cut short” to speed up the deportation process.
The centre's living accommodation is divided between six dormitories (sized from 10 beds to 37 beds) which are divided into open cubicles of 1, 2, 3 or 4 beds. Detainees have free movement and association within the centre at any time, giving them the ability to organise their own days.
The CNA (Certified Normal Accommodation) is due to rise from the current 160 to 199 early next year. D dormitory that used to be the largest dormitory having 37 beds, has increased the population following the installation of bunk beds.
Courses offered by Haslar's Education Department (managed by Highbury College
Highbury College
Highbury College is a general further education college in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. It provides vocational and academic education and training, from first-step courses to university level foundation degrees, specialised services for business and education in the community. The College is a...
) to detainees include ESOL, Food Hygiene, Health and Safety, Business Skills and Information Technology
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
. The centre also has a library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
, gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
, and multi-faith chaplaincy.
The detainees also have a flat screen TV and DVD player in every room and play bingo on Saturday and Sunday evenings enabling them to win up to £4.50 each game.