Centre criticised for being like a jail

INTIMIDATING and unfriendly accommodation, staff carrying weapons and a lack of privacy.

Those are just some of the criticisms levelled at a Hampshire detention centre in a scathing inspection report.

Detainees at the Haslar Immigration Removal Centre are forced to live in "unacceptable"

accommodation that is "incapable of providing a safe and decent setting", according to the report following the inspection by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons.

The centre was also criticised for being run more like a prison than a detention centre, with staff "inappropriately"

carrying extendable batons and wearing HM Prison Service uniforms.

Recommendations that would change the face of the Gosport centre have been made following the visit by five inspectors.

The centre, on the site of an old Army camp, is currently home to 115 men from all over the world, including Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, China and India.

They live in six dormitories of between ten and 37 beds and have been held in the centre for anything up to 16 months, although most have been there for fewer than four months.

The standard of living is one of the main criticisms of the report, which states the large dorms lack privacy and are noisy, because they have no upper walls or doors separating the living and sleeping areas.

The use of the public address system was also criticised as it bellows out instructions that are often loud and unclear, particularly to detainees whose first language is not English.

Inspectors have recommended Internet and e-mail access for detainees to help them keep in touch with families overseas.

The centre was, however, praised for providing activities for detainees since the last inspection in 2005. They are taught English and can participate in short accredited courses and paid work.

The report states: "Detainees were very complimentary about education and some described it as a sanctuary."

Anne Owers, chief inspector of prisons, said: "This inspection found that the accommodation was unacceptable, even after refurbishment.

"Some detainees told us they are afraid to fall asleep until others had done so and all detainees in a dormitory could be kept awake by TVs until the small hours."

A spokesman for the Borders and Immigration Agency, which runs the centre, said: "We will be considering the contents of this report and the recommendations very carefully.

We will draw up an action plan responding to each of the recommendations."