Engagement over enforcement

As the Nationality and Borders Bill goes through parliament, we will continue to call for engagement over this enforcement-based approach.

Why inflict harm by depriving someone of their liberty when they can live in the community as their immigration case is resolved?

We know there is another way. In the face of an increasingly hostile environment, volunteers in our network build solidarity across walls by supporting people in immigration detention every day.

In turn, at AVID, we create spaces for reflecting and sharing best practice for volunteering in detention. Recently we've held 'deep dive' sessions with members on subjects ranging from what independence means for visitors; how to meaningfully involve people with lived experience in decision-making and finally, why we need to think about the language we use while visiting. 

Read on to find out more about our recent work and some important insights into 'foreign national' prisons and prison detention.