THE government’s failure to follow through on recommendations to prevent abuse at Brook House shows a complete disregard to those held in inhumane conditions, campaigners warned yesterday.

Today marks one year since a public inquiry published its final report exposing the abuse suffered by those held at the immigration detention centre near Gatwick Airport.

The report found that there had been 19 incidents of mistreatment of detainees over a five-month period in 2017.

Among the shocking incidents recorded were details of how a custody officer “placed his hands firmly around the neck of one detained person, leaned forward over him and said in a quiet voice: ‘You f***ing piece of shit … I’m going to put you to f***ing sleep.’”

The inquiry gave 33 recommendations, but 12 months on, its chairwoman Kate Eves told the BBC that the government has agreed to only one of them.

She said that two recommendations had been rejected, including the introduction of a 28-day detention time limit.

Ms Eves said there was “no information at all” about five of the proposals, and that it was not possible to be sure about another 23 of the recommendations.

The chairwoman confirmed that one recommendation was accepted: that the Home Office and private contractors must ensure that staff are aware of the ban on handcuffing individuals behind their backs while seated, as this poses a risk of asphyxiation.

Speaking to the BBC about the risk of abuse happening again, she said: “It becomes a question of when, not if, such abuses will come to light again.”

She said that the previous Tory government’s response was “inadequate” and urged Labour to show more commitment. 

A Home Office spokesman said: “The abuse that took place at Brook House in 2017 was unacceptable and we are committed to ensuring it will never happen again.”

Migrants’ Rights Network chief executive Fizza Qureshi said: “The government has stated that they are committed to ensuring that the abuse which occurred in Brook House in 2017, is never repeated. 

“Yet their rejection of 32 out of 33 recommendations designed to prevent the repeat of abuse speaks louder than words. This shows a complete disregard to those in detention who are still held in inhumane conditions. 

“Time and time again, the government signals its apathy towards people seeking sanctuary, and that it is perfectly content to leave them languishing in violent and abusive conditions. 

“We call for the government to abolish detention.”