The death of 39-year-old Frank Ospina, a Colombian man in immigration detention in the UK, shocked his family. Ospina was awaiting deportation, and his mental health appeared to deteriorate rapidly. He is thought to have taken his own life in March 2023.
I study trauma in the aftermath of war and conflict, and have researched what life is like for the thousands of people in immigration detention in the UK. For me, Ospina’s death is a horrific reminder of how detention centres are failing to meet the complex needs of the people in them.
Last year, more than 20,300 people were held in immigration detention, which includes both immigration removal centres (IRCs) and short-term holding facilities. People may be detained while awaiting their identity or claims to be established, or to be deported.
