The coalition government has skillfully employed the "end" to child detention to avoid talking about the brutal and inhumane detention regime in general. Yet, over the years, countless reports and accounts have documented the plight of women locked up at Yarl's Wood: indefinite detention without charge or judicial oversight, overcrowded cells, mistreatment and abuse by private security guards, lack of privacy, restrictions on visits and phone calls, inadequate medical provision and the lack of facilities to address healthcare issues. And it's getting worse.

In her 2009 inspection report on Yarl's Wood, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Anne Owers reported that "the focus on improving the environment and activities for children appeared to have led to a lack of attention to the needs of the majority population of women. Provision of activities for them was among the poorest seen in any removal centre. It had been inadequate at the last inspection, and had declined even further. The absence of activity added to the depression and anxiety of women, many of whom were spending lengthy periods at Yarl's Wood. The average length of stay had increased by 50% since the last inspection, and one in ten women had been detained for more than six months."

End the detention of migrant women!
Close Yarl's Wood now!


Supporting groups:
- Stop Deportation ( http://stopdeportation.net)
- x:talk ( http://www.xtalkproject.net)