Order has been restored to Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre after protests among detainees broke out at around 9.30pm last night (Wednesday).
Bedfordshire Police, the Fire and Rescue Service and the ambulance service were all deployed to the facility, causing a great deal of speculation on social media.
The centre is run by SERCO on behalf of the government and houses foreign nationals prior to their deportation from the UK. It has faced several controversies over the years including hunger strikes, allegations of sexual abuse, the detention of children and three deaths of detainees.
In April, eight men broke through the permimeter fence of the controversial centre following a disturbance and sparking a nationwide hunt.
Read: Arrest made after men escape from Yarl’s Wood immigration removal centre
A spokesperson from Bedfordshire Police said: “We were called to support colleagues from SERCO in resolving an issue involving detainees protesting at Yarlswood Immigration Detention Centre, at around 9.40pm yesterday (Wednesday).
“We worked with Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service and the East of England Ambulance Service to put in place precautionary measures to ensure the site remained secure while the matter was resolved.”
A Serco spokesman said: “There was a disturbance at Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre last night.
“Order has been peacefully restored and the centre is now calm.”
