Asylum Welcome is launching an urgent appeal to help us continue supporting people detained at Campsfield Immigration Removal Centre near Kidlington.
The appeal comes as the Home Office proposes expanding the centre from 160 to 400 places.
Since April 2026, our staff and volunteers have been visiting men held at Campsfield as part of a pilot visiting service. We help detainees reconnect with family members, access legal advice, understand their rights and navigate a system that can feel confusing and overwhelming.
Most importantly, we provide human connection and reassurance that somebody cares.
What is Campsfield?
Campsfield is an Immigration Removal Centre in Kidlington, Oxfordshire. Unlike a prison, it holds people under immigration powers rather than criminal law.
The men detained there come from a wide range of backgrounds and circumstances. They include people seeking asylum, people whose asylum claims have been refused, people facing deportation after serving criminal sentences, and others whose immigration status is being resolved.
Unlike a prison sentence, immigration detention has no fixed end date. People do not know how long they will be held, whether they will be released, or whether they will be removed from the UK.
Lives Put on Hold
"Why am I here?"
"How can I get out?"
"Can you contact my family?"
These are among the most common questions heard by volunteers from Asylum Welcome's new Campsfield Visiting Service.
One young man we visited was facing deportation after serving an eight-week prison sentence, despite having his entire family in the UK. Another called Asylum Welcome from the van taking him to the airport for removal, desperately trying to understand what was happening to him. A third attended what he believed would be a routine immigration appointment and found himself taken to Campsfield instead.
Many of the men we visit do not fully understand why they have been detained, how long they will remain there, or what will happen next. Some are struggling to access legal advice, navigate language barriers, or cope with the uncertainty of detention.
Almost all live with the fear of being removed to countries they may barely know, or where they believe they could face persecution, violence or serious harm.
Hari Reed, Joint CEO of Asylum Welcome, said:
"Whether Campsfield remains at its current capacity or expands, detained people deserve dignity, compassion and human connection. For those inside Campsfield, a visitor may be the only person they encounter who is not part of the immigration system. The support provided by our visitors is a lifeline for people who don't know where to turn."
Help us continue this work
Our current visiting service is funded only until the end of July 2026.
Without additional support, we may not be able to continue visiting people held at Campsfield or provide the follow-up assistance that many rely on after a visit.
Your donation will help us continue offering practical support, information, advocacy and human connection to people experiencing immigration detention in Oxfordshire.
Donate here: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/campsfield
Expansion plans announced
The Home Office has announced proposals to expand Campsfield from 160 to 400 places. We are deeply concerned by these plans and encourage people to engage with the public consultation, which is open until 24 July 2026.
Members of the public can submit comments on the proposal via the Planning Inspectorate website. Visit the Crown Development Applications section and search for application reference CROWN/2026/0000004, then select “Have your say”. You can also email a response to crownapplications@planninginspectorate.gov.uk, quoting the CROWN/2026/0000004 reference.
Whatever people’s views on immigration policy, we believe that nobody should be left isolated, forgotten or without support while they are being detained.
