A new report published today by Bail for Immigration Detainees (BID) finds people are remaining in immigration detention for months after being granted bail due to widespread failures in post-detention accommodation systems. 

BID's research consulted more than 100 cases inn which people had remained trapped in detention because of failures to either source or approve accommodation, despite a court having decided they had the right to be released. 

The report finds that people are routinely being held in detention solely because accommodation has not been secured or approved, despite this not being a lawful reason for depriving someone of their liberty. 

The consequences are severe. Vulnerable people remain in detention despite evidence that it is harming their mental or physical health, while others are eventually released into homelessness after long delays. 

Key Findings 

  • 23% of BID's clients in 2023 and 2024 who were granted bail in principle, yet remained detained due to accommodation delays, faced additional detention periods of more than 3 months post-bail grant.
  • 81% of those facing detention of over 3 months had known vulnerabilities, with 42% bring assessed as adults at risk
  • 249 days was the longest delay in release
  • 81% of those facing delays of more than 3 months had known barriers to removal 
  • Delays were caused by slow Home-Office decision-making, poor coordination between agencies, problems approving addresses, and a lack of legal support. 

Call for action 

The report has made 32 recommendations to the Home Office, Ministry of Justice and Probation Service. These include introducing clear time limits for accommodation decisions, improving coordination between agencies, expanding access to legal aid, and ensuring that people granted bail are not left detained simply because accommodation has not been arranged.

A former BID client said: 

“I wasn't the only one stuck in this loop, I know of people who were stuck in this limbo for much longer periods. Is it an intentional strategy to wear people down, discouraging them from fighting their detention? Or is it simply a systemic failure which no one has bothered to fix?”   

Ben Goldberg, Head of Public Law at Turpin Miller, said: 

"It can only be hoped that the Home Office, Judges and the Probation Service work together to take action on these recommendations and end the dehumanising consequences of the Home Office's detention and accommodation systems detailed in this report." 

Accommodation Report