Cruel, toxic and inhumane – will the UK Home Office ever change?
The Home Office is cruel, increasingly toxic and inhumane, but will it ever change?
Sarah Bradley took to the digital world yesterday to issue a plea for help after her partner – who was being held in the Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre in South Lanarkshire – was told he was being taken to Manchester to be deported.
Youssef Mikhaiel is a University of Glasgow aeronautical engineering graduate who was diagnosed with a rare medical condition – Fabry disease – in 2020, and was about to present medical evidence to stay here on humanitarian grounds when he was detained.
This morning, Sarah had a call from him saying he was being taken to Manchester for a flight back to Egypt.
Fabry disease starts in childhood with a build-up of a type of fat in the body’s cells. It progressively worsens and can result in potentially life-threatening complications, like heart of kidney failure, or stroke.
There is no treatment in Egypt for the condition.
Youssef’s lawyer is Usman Aslam, who is well-known in and around Scotland’s immigration courts and tribunals, and he has a letter from an Egyptian hospital saying the absence of treatment would cause “intense suffering or death” to Youssef..
We seem to have become desensitised to the Home Office’s ‘hostile environment’ that began to rear its ugly head over a decade ago, but Usman says their behaviour is becoming increasingly “toxic”.
Usman told one newspaper: “Usually they take a year to make a decision but on this one I have a funny feeling they will make it in hours and say they’ve refused it and are still going to remove him.
“The number one priority is now to stop the flight and thereafter I’m going to apply for bail to get him released.
“He’s never missed a meeting, is not a flight risk so is the wrong person to detain.”
Sarah told The Scotsman: “On the best of days, Youssef walks around with occasional cramps, but other days he can be in severe pain.
“He’s the kind of person who does everything by the book … until now, we’ve never had a problem.
“But on this occasion, the Home Office, instead of going through the official procedure and calling his solicitor to find out what is happening, made the decision there and then to start the procedure of detainment.”
Good luck to the couple as they challenge the worsening cold-heartedness of Home Office immigration policies, which have been constantly slated for their total disregard for the rights and well-being of individuals fleeing persecution or seeking a better life in the UK. The policies have had a detrimental impact on vulnerable individuals and families, perpetuating a culture of fear, injustice, and discrimination.
The hostile environment policy aimed to make life so difficult for undocumented migrants that they would choose to leave the country and it has resulted in widespread discrimination and violations of human rights.
Many migrants have been denied access to healthcare, housing, and employment opportunities, leaving them in vulnerable and precarious situations. Families have been separated, and individuals have been subjected to harsh detention conditions and forced deportations.
Also, the UK’s use of thee immigration detention centres has raised serious concerns about the treatment of individuals awaiting immigration decisions. Detainees, including vulnerable groups such as survivors of torture and victims of trafficking, have been held in detention for indefinite periods, often in prison-like conditions. Reports of abuse, neglect, and inadequate medical care have emerged, highlighting the inhumanity and violation of basic human rights in these facilities.
Human rights groups and experts have condemned the detention of children in such centres, which can have a severe and lasting impact on a child’s well-being, mental health, and development.
But the hostile environment will remain until there is a comprehensive reform of the UK’s immigration system. Policies should protect human rights, adopt a more compassionate and fair approach, and be based on respect, dignity, and the recognition of the value that migrants bring to the country.
Detention should only be used as a last resort, and alternatives should be more widely explored. Access to essential services and support should be guaranteed for all individuals, regardless of their immigration status.
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