Inside Brook House: Restraint, Riots and Mental Health Crises at UK's Notorious Detention Centre
Naked but for handcuffs, a waist restraint belt, and a towel to cover his modesty, a man awaiting deportation from the UK is carried by officers to his bed within the country's most notorious immigration detention centre. This disturbing scene represents just one of many documented incidents at Brook House near Gatwick Airport, where violence, assaults, drug use and self-harm have become almost daily occurrences according to newly obtained evidence.
Chaotic Conditions and Routine Force
The Independent has obtained stark written accounts from officers working at Brook House that lay bare the crises unfolding within the controversial facility. These reports, obtained through freedom of information laws, reveal that force was used against migrants 31 times in July 2025 alone, providing a snapshot of a typical month at the centre where 2,424 individuals were housed in the year to September.
Separate data shows the prison riot squad – the National Tactical Response Group – was called out to Brook House 18 times in 2024 and 8 times in 2025, significantly higher than any other immigration removal centre in the country. This frequent deployment of specialist tactical units underscores the volatile environment that has developed at the facility.
Vulnerable Detainees and Mental Health Crises
The accounts detail numerous incidents involving mentally unwell residents, including:
- A resident with severe mental health issues repeatedly flooding his room and attempting suicide in front of officers
- Another resident awaiting transfer to a secure hospital experiencing apparent hallucinations while naked in his cell
- A detainee shouting "just kill me" and fighting against restraints after learning of his imminent removal from the country
- Multiple incidents of residents running at doors, head-butting windows, and attempting to bite staff members
According to the latest figures, use of force by officers at Brook House is higher than at any of the UK's other detention centres. Data from charity Medical Justice shows Brook House had 165 percent more incidents of force used than at the second highest facility – Harmondsworth detention centre near Heathrow.
Systemic Failures and Campaigner Concerns
Charities and campaigners have warned of continued "widespread failures" at the detention centre, with excessive force reportedly used on torture survivors and people who have lost mental capacity. Emma Ginn, director of Medical Justice, stated they continue to see failures including "inappropriate and indiscriminate use of segregation, inadequate healthcare provision, lack of medication and access to hospital, and unnecessary and excessive use of force."
Hannah Carbery from Gatwick Detainees Welfare Group added that people "routinely disclose not feeling safe in detention due to witnessing or directly experiencing use of force that they feel has not been adequately risk-assessed or is excessive."
Historical Context and Current Management
Brook House was the subject of an independent inquiry after G4S guards were filmed abusing detainees in 2017. That inquiry found 19 incidents of credible breaches of human rights laws relating to torture, inhuman or degrading treatment, with officers found to have choked, abused and forced migrants naked from their cells.
Since the inquiry, the site has been taken over by Serco, and Labour has accepted or partially accepted 30 out of 33 recommendations from the inquiry. However, recent inspections continue to raise concerns about disproportionate routine handcuffing of detainees, availability of drugs, and cases where the Home Office had not identified individuals' significant vulnerabilities before deciding to detain them.
In his last full inspection in 2024, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor warned about a serious deterioration in health care provision at the site. An updated inspection from July last year found limited improvement to support for the most vulnerable detainees, with too many still held for long periods – including one individual detained for 550 days.
Official Responses and Ongoing Concerns
The Home Office stated that all use of force reports are reviewed to identify trends and ensure techniques are justified. A spokesperson said: "We have acted decisively on the Brook House Inquiry recommendations, and regard the welfare of people detained in our care as being of utmost importance."
A Serco spokesperson responded: "We have a great team at Brook House IRC who carry out a challenging role with dedication and professionalism. Our officers only use appropriate and proportionate force as a last resort and robust governance and assurance is in place to closely monitor it."
Despite these assurances, the newly obtained accounts paint a picture of a facility where restraint and force have become routine responses to complex situations involving vulnerable individuals, many of whom suffer from severe mental health issues and face uncertain futures within the UK's immigration system.
