An investigation has been opened after the death of a detainee at Colnbrook immigration removal centre in Harmondsworth, west London.
Amir Siman-Tov, thought to be in his thirties and of Moroccan origin, died in the early hours of Wednesday at the detention centre near Heathrow. A cause of death has not been established.
A note circulated to detainees by Mitie Care and Custody, which manages Colnbrook, said: “It is with sad regret that on the morning of 17 February 2016 Mr Amir Siman-Tov passed away. The police have attended the centre and we are assisting them with their inquiries. This may be distressing news to some people and I would request that if you would like to speak to a member of staff please do so immediately.”
A fellow detainee at Colnbrook, Adel Kader, 50, from Lebanon, told the GuardianSiman-Tov was put on the healthcare ward when he arrived, where detainees with physical or mental health problems are placed, and said he was on suicide watch when he died.
“He was put into healthcare as soon as he arrived here a few weeks ago,” said Kader. “I got to know him. There is a little kitchenette here and we would make tea and coffee. He had a nurse with him all the time [see footnote]. He was on suicide watch.”
The Home Office would not comment on the case.
Kader added that Siman-Tov was “a quiet and intelligent person” and “a very gentle man”, adding: “When he came into the centre last month he was fit”
This death comes weeks after the publication of a report by Stephen Shaw, former prisons ombudsman, into immigration detention, in which he called for a reduction of the number of immigration detainees held at centres such as Colnbrook “boldly and without delay”.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “We can confirm that a detainee at Colnbrook immigration removal centre died in the early hours of this morning. It would be inappropriate to comment further while the police, coroner and prisons and probation ombudsman conduct their inquiries.”
• This footnote was added on 22 February 2016. Adel Kader subsequently pointed out that while nurses supervise the healthcare unit, guards were doing the minute-by-minute observing.
