Women’s experiences of indignity in immigration detention and beyond

Abstract

In this article, I set out to define dignity in immigration detention and beyond. Throughout this piece, I will examine the role of dignity in detention, and the way in which the existence of ‘dignity’ in detention impacts on people when they are in detention and after they leave. Based on interviews and research with women who have experienced immigration detention in the United Kingdom, it is clear that this experience of indignity has had a lasting impact on women, causing them distress both in detention and after they leave. The key themes emerging out of this research into violations of dignity include vilification, lack of autonomy and ‘diminishment’. In light of this, I suggest that immigration detention is incompatible with the concept of dignity that has been defined by the women in this study.