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| Investigation after death of second immigrant in UK detention in a week | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| An investigation has been launched following the death of a second man in immigration detention in a week. | An investigation has been launched following the death of a second man in immigration detention in a week. |
| Home Office officials confirmed that a 49-year-old man, who has not been named, died on Tuesday. | Home Office officials confirmed that a 49-year-old man, who has not been named, died on Tuesday. |
| He had been detained at Morton Hall immigration removal centre in Lincoln and died in hospital. The prisons and probation ombudsman is carrying out the investigation. | He had been detained at Morton Hall immigration removal centre in Lincoln and died in hospital. The prisons and probation ombudsman is carrying out the investigation. |
| Last Thursday, 64-year-old Tarek Chowdhury died at Colnbrook immigration removal centre near Heathrow. Zana Assad Yusif, 31, has been charged with his murder. | Last Thursday, 64-year-old Tarek Chowdhury died at Colnbrook immigration removal centre near Heathrow. Zana Assad Yusif, 31, has been charged with his murder. |
| The latest death brings the total death toll in immigration removal centres to 28 since 2000. | The latest death brings the total death toll in immigration removal centres to 28 since 2000. |
| Fellow detainees believe the man was from Sierra Leone. | Fellow detainees believe the man was from Sierra Leone. |
| Medical Justice, a charity working to improve the health of immigration detainees, has accused the Home Office of failing to address systemic failings in the system. | Medical Justice, a charity working to improve the health of immigration detainees, has accused the Home Office of failing to address systemic failings in the system. |
| “We are saddened and deeply troubled by the reports of yet another death in detention, the second in only a week and the 28th death of an immigration detainee since 2000,” said Kris Harris, policy and research worker at Medical Justice. | “We are saddened and deeply troubled by the reports of yet another death in detention, the second in only a week and the 28th death of an immigration detainee since 2000,” said Kris Harris, policy and research worker at Medical Justice. |
| “Investigations into these deaths have revealed ongoing systemic failings and a failure to address these. We fear that as long as these failings go unaddressed we will continue to see deaths in detention. We call for urgent action and our thoughts are with the family of the dead man and all those held in immigration detention.” | “Investigations into these deaths have revealed ongoing systemic failings and a failure to address these. We fear that as long as these failings go unaddressed we will continue to see deaths in detention. We call for urgent action and our thoughts are with the family of the dead man and all those held in immigration detention.” |
| One detainee at Morton Hall posted a message on Detained Voices about the latest death. | One detainee at Morton Hall posted a message on Detained Voices about the latest death. |
| It read: “He was a very quiet man. He kept himself to himself. He was very caring and helpful to people doing applications and writing letters. He would just help people through the goodness of his heart for nothing in return. He was a really nice person. You don’t often find people like that. When you find them it’s like a diamond in the rough, you know. | It read: “He was a very quiet man. He kept himself to himself. He was very caring and helpful to people doing applications and writing letters. He would just help people through the goodness of his heart for nothing in return. He was a really nice person. You don’t often find people like that. When you find them it’s like a diamond in the rough, you know. |
| “He’s also the type of person who you can talk to if you’re stressed out in detention. He would talk to you and say keep strong when he saw that you were depressed or stressed out. When a guy like that leaves us like this, it puts a lot of stress on the people who really connected with him on a spiritual level. If he was given bail and left here [sic]. People would have been proud and happy. But the way he left, really weighs heavy on your heart. | “He’s also the type of person who you can talk to if you’re stressed out in detention. He would talk to you and say keep strong when he saw that you were depressed or stressed out. When a guy like that leaves us like this, it puts a lot of stress on the people who really connected with him on a spiritual level. If he was given bail and left here [sic]. People would have been proud and happy. But the way he left, really weighs heavy on your heart. |
| “The tone is not good at Morton Hall. Everyone is sad.” | “The tone is not good at Morton Hall. Everyone is sad.” |
| IRC Morton Hall is a 392-bed unit run by the prison service on behalf of the Home Office. It was previously a women’s prison. | IRC Morton Hall is a 392-bed unit run by the prison service on behalf of the Home Office. It was previously a women’s prison. |
| A Home Office spokesperson said: “We can confirm that a 49-year-old man who had been detained at Morton Hall immigration removal centre died in hospital on the 6 December 2016. Our thoughts are with his family at this very sad time. A full independent investigation will be conducted by the prisons and probation ombudsman.” | A Home Office spokesperson said: “We can confirm that a 49-year-old man who had been detained at Morton Hall immigration removal centre died in hospital on the 6 December 2016. Our thoughts are with his family at this very sad time. A full independent investigation will be conducted by the prisons and probation ombudsman.” |