Naked but for handcuffs, a waist restraint belt, and a towel, a man awaiting deportation is carried by officers to his bed at Brook House, the UK’s most notorious immigration detention centre near Gatwick airport. Days later, a resident with mental health issues is restrained after smashing a television and boiling kettles to flood his room. Another incident sees a mentally unwell detainee jump onto safety netting in an apparent suicide attempt.
Violence, assaults, drug use, and self-harm are almost daily occurrences at Brook House, which operates under conditions modelled on a category B prison. The centre holds foreign nationals who have served jail time, small-boat migrants, and visa overstayers. An independent inquiry in 2017 found 19 credible breaches of human rights law, including torture and degrading treatment by G4S guards.
Now run by Serco, the centre has been the subject of stark written accounts from officers obtained by The Independent through freedom of information requests. These reveal that force was used against migrants 31 times in July 2025, a snapshot of a typical month. The National Tactical Response Group, a prison riot squad, was called to Brook House 18 times in 2024 and eight times in 2025, far more than at any other removal centre.
Charities warn of continued “widespread failures”, with excessive force used on torture survivors and those lacking mental capacity. Serco says restraints are used only as a last resort, and the Home Office reviews each incident. Reports document regular use of handcuffs, waist restraints, and isolation under “Rule 40”. In one July 2025 case, a new resident arrived naked and handcuffed, and was moved by force after failing to comply due to a language barrier.
Another resident, awaiting transfer to a secure hospital, had flooded his room, made a “dirty protest”, and assaulted staff. Staff eventually reasoned with him, using minimal force. A third detainee, who had been at Brook House for five months, was isolated after testing positive for spice, and could not receive routine methadone due to overdose risk. He became combative, leading to further restraint.
