Member

I wish to say a few words about the Brook House inquiry. I am sure the Committee will agree that what we saw at Brook House should never be repeated. However, as has been noted, the previous Government did not implement all the inquiry’s recommendations for good reasons. Our view is that a time limit on immigration detention would significantly impair our ability to remove those who have breached our immigration laws. A time limit would allow those who wish to guarantee their release to frustrate the removal process until the time limit is reached. It would encourage late and opportunistic claims to be made simply to push a person over the time limit, regardless of the circumstances of their case. Does the Minister agree that there should not be a time limit on immigration detention, and will he make some assurances to the Committee to that effect?