The treatment of people that the British government wants to deport is among the harshest in the world. The UK is the only country in the European Union that detains people for years with no time limit. Detention Action believes that this is one of the most important civil liberties issues in the UK today.

Take Action

Most people find long-term detention intensely traumatic. Not knowing when you will be free is damaging to mental health. People who have been tortured or imprisoned in their home countries are particularly scarred by long-term detention. We are calling on the government to introduce a time limit on detention.  Take action with us to end indefinite detention.

Reports and briefings

Point of no return: the futile detention of unreturnable migrants

Across Europe, migrants are wrongly detained when they cannot return to their countries of origin.  Only the UK detains them indefinitely for years.  20 unreturnable migrants tell their stories of detention.

Somalia: indefinite detention and deportation

A short briefing that explains why people can’t currently be removed to Somalia and the effect that being held in detention with no time limit has on people, many of whom came to the UK as young children.

Detention Action published the Detained Lives report. This ground breaking report presents evidence of the ineffectiveness and the human cost of  indefinite detention.

Detention Action published No Return No Release No Reason which demonstrates that the indefinite detention of migrants who cannot be deported is ineffective, inefficient and enormously damaging.