Self-harm incident nearly every day in UK immigration detention, data shows

Home Office figures show 1,743 incidents requiring treatment in 2,099 days across four removal centres

There has been a self-harm incident or suicide attempt requiring medical treatment almost every day on average over the last nearly six years across the Home Office’s largest immigration detention centres, the Guardian has learned.

Data obtained from the Home Office by the Scottish Refugee Council using freedom of information laws and shared with the Guardian provides information about self-harm incidents requiring medical treatment over the period from January 2018 until 30 September this year.

In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org