Campaign by Story
Imagine a knock at the door and not knowing if it is immigration enforcement.
Imagine fear becoming your only certainty.
Imagine being taken somewhere you did not choose, unable to see your loved ones, and not knowing when you will be released or where to.
💥 WHY WE’VE EXTENDED THE CAMPAIGN
We originally launched this appeal through the Christmas period, but the need to maintain connection, care, and solidarity with people in detention doesn’t end with the calendar.
We’re asking our communities to continue standing with those who are still waiting without certainty and still living with the harm of detention.
Funds raised will go towards
All funds raised will be distributed to immigration detention visitor groups to support their frontline work.
When you feel like there is nobody there to listen to you…… they were there, when you actually needed them. Someone to actually sit down and listen to you. (Individual detained in Dungavel IRC, visited by Scottish Detainee Visitors)
Funds will go towards the core costs involved in providing practical and emotional to people in detention:
+ £10 covers phone credit so a person can call family, friends or solicitor;
+ £20-£30 covers travel costs for a drop-in run by visitor groups in detention;
+ £50 will help us provide at least 20 hours of interpreting for people in detention.
Thank you for top up, can now ring family. (Individual detained in Yarl's Wood IRC, visited by Beyond Detention)
The act of giving and visiting people in detention is more than the item received or the conversation had.
It is an act of solidarity, sending an important message to people in detention that they belong in our communities and are not forgotten.
By supporting our campaign, you can be part of this vision too.
About the AVID network
We are a national network of 13 visitor groups, representing more than 200 volunteer visitors, who visit people detained under immigration powers to provide emotional and practical support.
Visitors act as a friend and ally; they provide practical advice and help people navigate the complexities of detention, liaising with lawyers and informing people of their rights.
In 2024, members of the AVID network supported 6,383 people in detention, visiting people in detention centres and prisons across the UK. Demonstrative of our collective reach, this is 30% of people entering detention (20,604) that year.