The study, A survey of the illegally resident population in detention in the UK, found that the highest number of detainees came from south Asia, followed by west Africa and sub-Saharan Africa. Many said they had left their home country because they feared for their safety or had been unable to find work.
But children's charity Save the Children claims the figures are misleading and offer little insight into the detention system. "The Home Office has sneakily provided only a snapshot of the number of people detained in centres," said a spokeswoman. "Our own research suggests that about 2,000 under-18s are held a year and many are deprived of basic child protection."
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