Campsfield expansion inquiry postponed amid calls for greater transparency

The Public Inquiry into the expansion of Campsfield Immigration Removal Centre has been postponed following requests for additional information from the Home Office.

Initially set to start on 6th October at Cherwell District Council offices in Banbury, the inquiry chair opted to pause proceedings after lawyers for the Coalition to Close Campsfield petitioned for the release of further documentation linked to the planning application.

The application seeks to enlarge the IRC capacity from 160 to around 400 places, but concerns have been raised due to the withholding and redaction of substantial parts of the supporting material, potentially impacting public scrutiny.

Participants in the inquiry will include the Home Office and Cherwell District Council as key parties, along with the Coalition as an integral external participant.

Voices against the detention increase from various groups are invited to become ‘interested parties’ through application to the Planning Inspectorate.

This inquiry is pivotal in the ongoing discourse around Campsfield House and the government’s evolving immigration detention policy, which proposes expanded detention spaces to facilitate more removals.

Critics argue these plans counter the recommendations from Sir Stephen Shaw's reports, advocating for reduced reliance on detention and suggesting alternative strategies.

Utilizing the Crown Development route for this application allows planning decisions to be managed by the National Planning Inspectorate, rather than through traditional legislative reviews.

While the inquiry into Campsfield’s expansion facilitates public examination of government proposals, a similar inquiry is planned for expanding Haslar detention centre.

The Home Office emphasizes the expansion as a measure to increase the removal of individuals without residence rights in the UK, projecting these projects to contribute to a 40% rise in detention capacity.

The Home Office stated, “We are committed to increasing the removal of those with no right to remain in the UK. Expanding our detention capacity plays an important role in achieving this. We remain confident in the application for the expansion of Campsfield Immigration Removal Centre and will continue to engage constructively with the Planning Inspectorate as the process moves forward.”

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