The Home Office is responsible, under the Immigration Act 1971 and the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, for detaining and/or enforcing the removal of certain persons (detainees) from the UK.
The Immigration enforcement directorate of the Home Office is responsible for the provision of escorting services and detention.
At any one time, approximately 3400 detainees are held overnight in one of the Immigration Removal Centres, residential Short Term Holding Facilities, prisons and police stations across the United Kingdom. In addition, persons can be detained for shorter periods of time in holding rooms at reporting centres, land and sea ports.
This often entails the provision of transportation for detainees and escorts who will travel with them to their final destination and hand them over to the appropriate authorities. This will include vulnerable detainees, (e.g. with a medical condition), as well as those who refuse to leave the UK voluntarily and those being removed on chartered flights.
The Home Office has sought a commercial partner for the provision of a number of distinct, but fully integrated services. These services include (but are not limited to):
- the escorting and transportation of detainees within the UK (In-Country escorting services),
- the escorting of detainees from the UK to and from an overseas destination (Overseas escorting),
- management of detainees detained at holding rooms and Short-term Holding Facilities (STHFs),
- operation and management of Short-term holding facilities.
The escorting and transportation of persons who are subject to the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 may also be required.
There may also be a requirement to escort service users for other government departments.
The Contract value of 514 206 657 GBP at todays prices is a whole life cost for the full contract period of 10 years.