A FATAL accident inquiry has begun into the death of a Chinese man who was imprisoned in Dungavel Detention Centre.
Xi Biao Huang died in the South Lanarkshire migrant prison aged just 54 in 2017.
According to human rights charity Positive Action in Housing, grandfather-of-three Huang had come to the UK in 2004 on a work permit and lived in Liverpool before the company he worked for closed down and he lost his job as a chef, jeopardising his immigration status.
He was imprisoned in Dungavel Detention Centre for two weeks before his death, the charity said, adding that he had “persistently” complained of feeling unwell before dying of a heart attack.
They claim he was “never taken to hospital” during his short period of detention.
A fatal accident inquiry, led by Sheriff Colin Dunipace, began at Hamilton Sheriff Court on Monday.
Dungavel is operated by the private security firm Mitie on behalf of the Home Office.
Robina Qureshi, the chief executive of Positive Action in Housing, said: “It has been five years since we first raised questions about Mr Huang and the circumstances of his death.
“For the sake of his family and those still at risk of detention, we hope the fatal accident inquiry brings out the truth of what happened to him while he was detained.
"Immigrants who have committed no crime should not be detained like criminals. Would he still be alive had he not been detained and been able to freely attend hospital to see a specialist with the support of his family?"
The Home Office has insisted immigration centre detainees have constant access to medical assistance and that new arrivals are medically assessed by a nurse within two hours of arrival.
An inquest carried out in Liverpool following his death determined Mr Huang had died from a heart attack.
A spokesperson for the Home Office said: “We offer our sincere and heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Mr Huang.
“We take the welfare of all those in our care incredibly seriously. Any death that occurs in immigration detention is subject to investigation by the police, the coroner or Procurator Fiscal in Scotland and the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman."
Dungavel, south of Strathaven, has long been a focal point for anti-racist activists, who have raised concerns about the length of detentions endured by some detainees.
