Detained-Lives-report1

detained lives: the real cost of indefinite immigration detention
research aims & methodology
The Detained Lives research is an initial investigation,
employing both qualitative and quantitative
techniques, into the emerging issue of long-term
indefinite detention. The qualitative section of
the research explores the perspectives of detainees
themselves, in order to throw light on the human impact of
indefinite detention, as well as the systemic factors that generate
it. The quantitative research attempts to analyse the extent
to which the policy of indefinite detention achieves its (legally
obligatory) aim of generating deportations. It is important
to note that this research can only provide a glimpse of what
is likely to be a much larger national phenomenon, as it is restricted
to detainees who have passed through two centres and
have contacted LDSG.
For the purposes of this research, focus was restricted to people
who had been detained for more than one year under sole immigration
powers, excluding time spent serving a sentence or
on remand. All immigration detention is indefinite, given the
absence of time-limits, and the impact of this can be felt by all
detainees. Certainly, a strong case can be made that three or
six months constitutes long-term detention. However, given
the limited scale of the project, it was necessary to focus on the
most extreme cases. Moreover, while most detainees can expect
to be deported or released in the foreseeable future, detention
of more than a year suggests both a great reluctance to allow release
and intractable obstacles to deportation for the individual
concerned. People detained for over a year have grounds to fear
an indefinite future in detention. Consequently, throughout
this report the term “indefinite detention” is used to designate
detention without time-limits lasting for more than a year.
The legitimacy or otherwise of UK immigration control and
deportations, either in general or in individual cases, is outside
the remit of this research and is not considered.
Quantitative research from the LDSG database
LDSG’s casework database was used as the data source for the
quantitative research. Details of all detainees accessing support
or information from LDSG are recorded on an Access database.
A list was extracted of people detained for a year or more who
had accessed services between April 2007 (i.e. approximately
one year after the introduction of the presumption of detention)
and November 2008. This list was analysed by a number
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R e s e a r c h a i m s a n d m e t h o d o l o g y