The United Kingdom’s immigration detention system is once again under intense scrutiny-this time for its failure to protect one of the most vulnerable groups in its custody: LGBTQ migrants. Recent revelations have exposed shocking gaps in the training of staff working for private companies that manage the nation’s immigration removal centres, raising serious concerns about the safety and dignity of detained queer asylum seekers.

Documents obtained by the London-based charity Rainbow Migration and reviewed by openDemocracy show that companies such as Serco and Mitie-two of the UK’s largest immigration service providers-are failing to adequately train staff to meet the specific needs of LGBTQ detainees. The findings point to an institutional problem that extends far beyond inadequate paperwork. For many migrants fleeing persecution due to their sexual orientation or gender identity, Britain’s immigration system has become yet another place of trauma rather than refuge.

The reviewed training materials contain deeply troubling errors. Staff training slides refer to detainees-people held while awaiting deportation or the outcome of asylum claims-as “prisoners.” Such language is more than a semantic misstep. It reflects the broader criminalization of migrants in UK policy and the prison-like conditions within detention facilities.

While the documents include sections on racial equality and the prevention of discrimination, they often omit specific references to homophobia, transphobia, or the unique vulnerabilities of LGBTQ detainees. The materials, created between 2018 and 2024, fail to meet the standards of awareness and sensitivity required for managing a population that is already at high risk of abuse and psychological distress.

Rainbow Migration argues that this neglect underscores why the UK government should end the detention of LGBTQ migrants altogether. “Lesbian, gay and bisexual people are supposed to be protected by the policies that are currently in place, but this FOI shows that even basic protections such as adequate DEI training for staff are not being implemented,” said........

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