Asylum Welcome launches appeal to fund visiting service at re-opened Campsfield IRC
Charity speaks of harm caused by immigration detention and aims to support those detained
Asylum Welcome has launched an urgent appeal, to fund a visiting service for people detained at the re-opened Campsfield Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) in Oxfordshire.
The charity, which has consistently opposed the use of detention for immigration purposes, expressed sorrow at the return of immigration detention to the region.
Recognising the immediate impact on detainees, Asylum Welcome is piloting a three-month visiting service, to support those inside Campsfield from January to March 2026.
The impact of immigration detention
Joint CEO of Asylum Welcome, Dr Hari Reed, highlighted the harm caused by immigration detention and the importance of refusing to look away.
“As the first detainees arrive at Campsfield, we feel deeply sorry that people are once again being locked up in a system that causes profound harm,” Reed said.
“There is no such thing as a humane immigration detention centre.
“As none of this should be happening, our presence is not about making detention acceptable. It is about refusing to look away while people are harmed and standing in solidarity with those forced to endure a system that strips them of control, stability and hope.”
In the UK, people subject to immigration control can be detained without warning or trial and with no statutory time limit, with most eventually released into the community.
Supporting detainees through visits
Asylum Welcome has a long history of supporting detainees, previously visiting Campsfield inmates before its closure in 2018. The charity continues similar work through its Huntercombe Prison Visiting Programme.
The pilot at the reopened Campsfield IRC will provide regular visits by trained staff and volunteers, offering listening support and practical guidance to individuals left isolated in the system.
Pilo Moreno, a musician and former Campsfield detainee who was supported by Asylum Welcome, shared his experience of detention in Oxfordshire.
“That place is designed to take your humanity away,” Moreno said. “Every day, little by little, you lose something of yourself, and it’s designed for that.
“And in that kind of situation, a spark of empathy makes the difference.”
Appeal to extend support
Asylum Welcome is fundraising to continue the pilot project beyond March 2026. Supporters can donate via the charity’s JustGiving campaign.
Dr Hari Reed emphasised the need for solidarity and the importance of the visiting service in combating isolation and exclusion.
Anyone wishing to ensure that detainees receive vital support can contribute directly to the campaign.