Three investigations have been launched after the death of a 37-year-old Albanian immigration detainee, the Home Office has said.
The man, who died on Friday, had attempted to kill himself just over a week ago in Brook House immigration removal centre near Gatwick airport and was subsequently taken to East Surrey hospital, where he was cared for in the intensive care unit.
On Saturday morning the Home Office confirmed the man’s death. Police, the coroner and the prisons and probation ombudsman have launched investigations.
A protest was staged in Brook House, subject of a recent critical public inquiry, by mainly Albanian detainees, after the man’s attempt to kill himself and a second Albanian man’s suicide attempt.
The second man was deported soon after his suicide attempt but was immediately returned to the UK after a legal challenge by his lawyer, who applied for his deportation order to be revoked. The Home Office brought him back to Brook House after agreeing to defer his removal.
A psychologist’s report seen by the Guardian urged the Home Office to conduct a full clinical assessment before going ahead with the man’s deportation.
“Failure to do so may result in irreparable harm to his psychological and physical wellbeing,” the report stated.
One Albanian detainee involved in the protest said the two men who had tried to kill themselves had feared for their safety due to imminent plans to return them to Albania.
“One of them said to me he thought it would be better to die in the UK than to be sent back to Albania. Our treatment in detention is not good. We are not animals; we are humans,” he said.
The Home Office has frequently cited what it describes as its “landmark joint communique” with Albania signed on 13 December 2022 to expedite removals of Albanian nationals it says are in the UK illegally back to their home country.
However, lawyers and human rights campaigners have warned that many Albanians who have claimed asylum in the UK for reasons including trafficking or blood feuds are in danger if forcibly returned to their home country.
Esme Madill, a solicitor at the Migrant and Refugee Children’s Legal Unit based at Islington Law Centre, said the news about the man’s death had generated fear amongAlbanians seeking sanctuary in the UK. “This case has had real impact on the young and vulnerable Albanian victims of trafficking we work with who fear the lack of judicial oversight and believe this is what awaits them,” she said.
“We are really concerned that the current designation of Albania as a safe country by the Illegal Migration Act is increasing feelings of desperation among the young people we work with and we fear incidents such as these may become more common.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “Our thoughts and condolences are with the family and friends of the person who has died. The welfare of all those in our care is of the utmost importance. Any death in immigration detention is a tragic event, and will be subject to investigation by the police, the coroner and the independent prisons and probation ombudsman.”
On 26 March 2023, Frank Ospina, a 39-year-old from Colombia, died in Heathrow immigration detention centre. He is also understood to have taken his own life.
