Home Office criticised over immigration detainee medicine removals

Watchdog says policy on prescribed drugs could lead to a medical emergency and endanger lives

A watchdog has condemned the Home Office for confiscating life-saving prescription drugs from people it detains.

Rules requiring guards to take away prescribed medicines from people at short-term holding facilities (STFHs), where migrants can be detained for up to 24 hours, could lead to a medical emergency and endanger their lives, says the annual report of the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) for the North East, Midlands and Yorkshire & Humber STHF published on Tuesday.