Introduction
Some 30,000 people are detained each year in the UK in 11 Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs), up to 4270 at any one time. The majority are men, with women making up 10% of the total. A small number of children continue to be detained for a few days at a time.
Detainees are held for administrative purposes while the authorities process their claims to asylum, establish their identities or arrange for their deportation. Immigration detention is not part of the criminal justice system – detainees who have been in prison will have already served their sentences.
Music In Detention provides regular music programmes in about half of the IRCs each year, together with community exchanges, which are projects working with detainees and local community groups in the areas where IRCs are situated.
Want to hear all the music?
Listen to music from detainee and community projects, view artwork and discuss!
Latest News
- Public Event: Dance Works, performance at Langley Green Hospital
13th November 2019 - Koestler Awards Commendation for song recorded in Tinsley House Immigration Removal Centre
16th October 2019 - Music After Detention gig - 5 October, The Lighthouse pub, Deal
2nd October 2019 - Nasema Asante – saying thank you to past generations for Refugee Week
19th June 2019 - "It’s something special that you feel" — our new independent evaluation
14th May 2019