Morton Hall Visitors Group
Our objectives
Morton Hall Visitors Group (MHVG) was formed in 2011 following the conversion of Morton Hall prison in Swinderby, Lincolnshire, to an Immigration Removal Centre. The third largest in the UK, the centre holds up to 392 people. Many are waiting to find out if they will be allowed to stay in Britain or returned to their countries of origin. None of them are currently being detained as punishment for a crime - although a proportion have previous convictions. Immigration detainees can be held indefinitely as detention is not automatically reviewed by the courts, and many can end up in Immigration Removal Centres for lengthy periods of time.
Although Morton Hall ceased to operate as an Immigration Removal Centre in the summer of 2021, it is set to reopen shortly as a prison for foreign nationals. MHVG will continue to visit those who are detained at Morton Hall, but we have also extended our remit to include pilot programmes at HMP Nottingham and Stocken Prison, where we support non-British nationals serving custodial sentences.
Our activities
Our aims are to recruit and provide a trained visiting network of volunteers who can offer emotional and practical support to those people in detention. We build trust and provide signposting and advocacy independent from legal or government bodies. We also educate and inform the public about issues and injustices around immigration detention, the experiences people may have had whilst being detained, and the broader legal situation for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in the UK.