Staff at immigration detention centre wore England flags, report finds

Chair of prisons and detention watchdog concerned about intimidating effect as wide-ranging and damning review published Grim reality of prison conditions laid bare in damning report Staff at an immigration detention centre wore England flags pinned to their uniforms while guarding migrants, a report from the prisons and detention watchdog has revealed. Their use by staff at one of the Home Office’s short-term holding facilities to detain migrants is revealed in the Independent Monitoring Boards’ national annual report, published on Wednesday, which is based on 127 annual reports about different prisons, young offender institutions and immigration detention centres. The report from the interim IMB chair, Jane Leech, raises concerns about the wearing of St George’s Cross flags, which have become closely associated with far right and anti-migrant activists and groups including Raise the Colours. “The board felt this risked perceptions of bias or even intimidation among detained people, especially in the light of recent immigration protests in which flag displays were prominent. At a minimum the board concluded it raised concerns about professional standards and workplace culture,” it

Jun 9, 2026 → Jun 12, 2026