27 September 2021
Dear Julian Molina,
Reference: FOI 349 Freedom of Information Request
Thank you for your email, which we received on 9 September 2021. Your request has
been handled under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
You asked us:
I would like to make an FOI request for information about persons held in asylum
accommodation in line with the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.
1. Can you provide an annual breakdown of fatal incident notifications received by the
PPO about persons held in asylum accommodation, in line with the Immigration and
Asylum Act 1999, for the financial years 2016-17 to 2020-21?
Our Response:
As set out in our terms of reference1, the PPO will investigate deaths of
“immigration
detainees, including residents of immigration removal centres, pre-departure
accommodation, short-term holding facilities and those under managed immigration escort
anywhere in the UK and internationally2”
The PPO would therefore only get notified of deaths that occur in these circumstances.
We hold information of fatal incident notifications that have occurred in Immigration
Removal Centres if you require this information, please let us know.
We suggest contacting the Home Office for further information:
1
PPO-Terms-of-reference-2017.pdf
2 The deaths of individuals other than immigration detainees, as defined under Immigration Act powers at the
time of death, will be investigated by the IPCC for England and Wales, the Police Investigations & Review
Commissioner in Scotland or the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland
How information about you will be used
We may use or share your data/information only to the necessary extent when conducting our independent investigations in the exercise of our
official authority. We will share your data with third parties (for example, the prison if you are in prison, with coroners, with the National Health
Service) in order to make sure the information is accurate; to prevent or detect failings; and to identify lessons learnt. We may sometimes also need
to share your data with other third parties if required to do so by law. We only keep your personal information for as long as it is needed, as set out
in our data retention policy.
If you need any further information on how your information is used, how we maintain the security of your information, your right to access the
information we hold on you, your other rights in relation to your information or the PPO’s data protection officer, please contact us.
Direct communications unit
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF
United Kingdom
Email
: xxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Website
: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office
You asked us:
2. Can you provide copies of recent policy documents about related to PPO's role in
investigating the deaths of persons held in asylum accommodation in line with the
Immigration and Asylum Act 1999?
Our Response:
As above, please see our terms of reference which outlines our remit. Investigating deaths
which have occurred in asylum accommodation is not a part of our terms of reference.
However, we do investigate deaths which have occurred in Immigration Removal Centres.
I hope that this is helpful.
You have the right to appeal against our response if you think it is incorrect. Details can be
found in the ‘How to Appeal’ section attached at the end of this letter.
Yours sincerely,
Ella Forder
Research Officer
The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) carries out independent investigations into
complaints and deaths in custody. The detailed role and responsibilities of the PPO are set
out in our off
ice’s Terms of Reference. The PPO has three main duties:
• to investigate complaints made by prisoners, young people in detention (prisons
and secure training centres), offenders under probation supervision and immigration
detainees
• to investigate deaths of prisoners, young people in detention, approved premises’
residents and immigration detainees due to any cause, including any apparent
suicides and natural causes
• to investigate deaths of recently released prisoners or detainees, using the PPO’s
discretionary powers
The purpose of these investigations is to understand what happened, to correct injustices
and to identify learning for the organisations whose actions we oversee so that the PPO
makes a significant contribution to safer, fairer custody and offender supervision.
How to Appeal
Internal Review
If you are not satisfied with this response, you have the right to an internal review. The
handling of your request will be looked at by someone who was not responsible for the
original case, and they will make a decision as to whether we answered your request
correctly.
If you would like to request a review, please write or send an email to the Prisons and
Probation Ombudsman’s office
within two months of the date of this letter, at the
following address:
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman
Third Floor
10 South Colonnade
Canary Wharf
London
E14 4PU
E-mail: xxxx@xxx.xxx.xx
Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)
If you remain dissatisfied after an internal review decision, you have the right to apply to
the Information Commissioner’s Office. The Commissioner is an independent regulator
who has the power to direct us to respond to your request differently, if he considers that
we have handled it incorrectly.
You can contact the ICO at the following address:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Internet address: https://ico.org.uk/
