Campaigners accuse minister of smearing hunger strikers

Meg Hillier MP wrote to fellow representatives following the tabling of an early day motion by John McDonnell MP calling for an urgent investigation into allegations of assault, racism and abuse at the notorious detention facility, run by private operator Serco for the government.

The EDM called for an investigation into reports of "violence, mistreatment and racist abuse" from guards and the "kettling" of women in corridors for hours at a time.

An estimated 34 women have been on hunger strike for the past three weeks in protest at conditions at the centre - but Ms Hillier's letter claimed the women were "buying food from the centre's shop and vending machines and having food delivered by visitors."

The allegation was strongly disputed by campaigners who have worked closely with the women in question.

Black Women's Rape Action Project said the claim that the women were eating was "a lie," pointing out that visitors were banned from bringing food to the centre.

Ms Hillier also claimed that "detention is only used when people refuse to leave the country voluntarily" and that only those "whose application to stay has been fully considered by the UKBA and independent courts, but has failed," were detained.

A spokeswoman for BWRAP said: "Rape survivors and victims of other torture are still routinely assessed under the fast-track, where a case is settled in 10 days leaving no time to gather expert reports crucial to corroborating a claim of persecution. Ninety-nine per cent of cases are refused."

Bail for Immigration Detainees director Celia Clarke said: "We have received deeply troubling reports from detainees in Yarl's Wood about the hunger strike which some women are involved in, and the way the Home Office has handled this protest.

"Some of these women have been separated from their children, who have been placed in care while their mothers are detained. Torture survivors, children and pregnant women are all held without time limit, despite the evidence that this can lead to vulnerable people becoming seriously depressed and even self-harming."

A report from children's commissioner Sir Al Aynsley Green out this month states: "We stand by our contention that arrest and detention are inherently damaging to children, and that Yarl's Wood is no place for a child."