Asylum-seeker abuse 'rife'

The report, published by Baroness Nuala O'Loan, was a response to a dossier of incidents compiled by campaigners and medical and legal practitioners and presented to the government in 2008.

The dossier Outsourcing Abuse argued that there was "systematic abuse" within the asylum system which amounted to "state-sanctioned violence."

Campaigners provided evidence of numerous incidents where detainees had suffered horrific injuries, allegedly at the hands of detention staff.

One Cameroonian woman was handcuffed to her hospital bed while recovering from an operation. And Suren Khachatryan, from Armenia, was allegedly stamped on and kicked during a removal attempt and suffered a collapsed lung as a result.

These claims were dismissed by ministers and immigration officials at the time.

In her report, Ms O'Loan denied there was "systematic abuse" but found that in numerous cases there was "no evidence of consideration of the proportionality" of the use of handcuffs and leg restraints.

She also stated that there had been no proper investigation into a number of cases, including that of Mr Khachatryan.

Responding to the report, asylum lawyer Harriet Wistrich of Birnberg Peirce said: "Baroness O'Loan has recognised that use of control and restraint and the use of handcuffs on this very vulnerable group of detainees has often been disproportionate, unnecessary and inappropriate.

"What is often forgotten is that many in immigration detention centres are survivors of horrific violence, torture and abuse who, as a result, may be suicidal or suffer from mental illness.

"The use of force on such people can cause long-lasting damage as we have been able to prove on many occasions where civil claims have been brought and settled."

Medical Justice clinical adviser Dr Frank Arnold, who works closely with asylum detainees, added: "I am particularly perturbed about her concerns about the improper use of handcuffs, because I have examined the resulting injuries, which can be serious and long-lasting.

"I am also concerned that I have never - in over 10 cases - seen a competent examination of these injuries by a doctor working in a detention centre. This violates good medical practice and UK BA policy."