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<p>The adults at risk in immigration detention policy came into force in September
2016 and was part of the Government’s response to Stephen Shaw’s review of the welfare
of vulnerable people in immigration detention. It is based on a case by case assessment
of the appropriateness of detention for each individual, depending on the nature and
evidence of vulnerability available in their particular case. It involves a balancing
of vulnerability considerations against immigration factors (how soon removal is due
to take place, public protection concerns, and compliance with immigration law). If
an individual is identified as being at risk in the terms of the policy, they will
be detained (or their detention continued) only when the immigration factors outweigh
the evidence of risk. <br>As such, the policy strengthens the existing presumption
against detention. It does not, however, represent an automatic exclusion from immigration
detention for any group of vulnerable, or potentially vulnerable, individuals and
the Government has no plans to put in place a framework which fully prohibits the
detention of any group of individuals.</p><p>Victims of sexual or gender based violence
already fall explicitly within the scope of the policy. Individuals who have suffered
severe physical or psychological violence are not explicitly referenced, but it is
highly likely that such individuals would in any case fall within its scope in that
they would meet one of the other indicators of risk set out in the policy (for example,
suffering from a mental health condition or impairment, or suffering from a serious
physical health condition, or suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, or having
been a victim of torture).</p><p>Following the High Court judgment on 10 October 2017
in the case of Medical Justice and Others v the Secretary of State for the Home Department,
the Government has been considering how it can best address the Court’s findings in
relation to the statutory guidance in respect of the adults at risk in immigration
detention policy. This includes consideration of the definition of torture that should
apply in the policy. On 16 January 2018, Home Office officials wrote to a range of
non-governmental organisations, including Medical Justice and Freedom from Torture,
to propose a series of meetings in order to elicit their views as part of the process
for developing statutory amendments.</p>
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