February 26, 2020 9.48 am This story is over 49 months old

Protestors to hold Morton Hall demo to “stop deaths and abuse”

Over 100 people have shown interest in attending the protest
Protesters called for the centre to be shut down.

Protestors will gather at Morton Hall immigration detention centre in Swinderby next month calling to “stop deaths and abuse in detention,” “shut down all detention centres” and “stop all deportations.”

South Yorkshire Migration and Asylum Action Group, These Walls Must Fall supporters, and Sheffield Student Action for Refugees are hosting the national protest between 12pm-3pm on March 14, 2020. Over 100 people have shown interest in attending the upcoming protest, with 25 confirmed as going.

Protestors previously held a demonstration in October 2019 to call for the closure of Morton Hall, where four people died in 2017. Morton Hall has a total of 392 rooms spread across six residential units, and a care and separation unit (CSU).

The Facebook event post for the upcoming protest claims there are constant reports of violence by staff and self-harm by people detained there.

They are urging supporters of migrants’ rights and those opposed to detention to join them at Morton Hall to “let the detainees know we are supporting them, and to show the Home Office we are watching”.

The organisers are urging people to bring banners, placards, vuvuzelas and musical instruments and to make as much noise as possible. Transport is also being put on to the event from Leeds and Sheffield.

A Home Office spokesperson previously said: “No-one is detained indefinitely. Most people detained under immigration powers spend only short periods in detention.

“The welfare of detainees is of paramount importance and it is crucial that detention is carried out with dignity and respect.”

As previously reported, there was another spike in self-harm incidents at the centre near Lincoln despite a drop in population, an independent report revealed last year.