PRE-DEPORTATION DETENTION FACILITIES Response: The Joint Commission’s suggestion that in future more staff should be employed who have undergone penal service training is welcomed in principle. Due to the age structure of the staff of the central foreigners’ authority employed in the detention centre, it is assumed that new staff will have to be hired over the next few years and that job requirements could then be set accordingly. It will also be examined whether on account of the drop in the number of detainees in the penal system in Brandenburg it will be possible for prison staff trained there to be used. As regards existing staff members, the intention is to make more use in future of training courses offered by the prisons in Brandenburg. In addition, a training concept will be developed which involves staff of the private service provider. The facility does not have sufficient specialists at its disposal. Neither socio-educational instructors nor psychologists are regularly available or have fixed office hours for detainees awaiting deportation. Further, no therapies are on offer. Only one educationalist who is also responsible for supervising the reception centre for asylum-seekers, does socioeducational work and is available on a daily basis to hear detainees’ concerns. The Joint Commission believes it is necessary for a psychologist to regularly be in attendance in the facility, not only upon the request of the detainees. Traumatised detainees awaiting deportation and those with suicidal tendencies will, for instance, not necessarily approach anyone in the facility of their own accord and ask to see a psychologist. The “Runder Tisch Ingelheim”, a working group established on the initiative of the Ministry of Integration of Rhineland-Palatinate to improve the conditions of detention in Ingelheim Detention Centre for Persons Required to Leave the Country, holds the same opinion. Only a psychologist specialising in this area who is regularly on hand and who is in contact with the detainees awaiting deportation will be able to diagnose suicidal tendencies, traumatisation or other mental illnesses. In addition, the hunger strike by detainees awaiting deportation which was ongoing at the time of the visit indicated that there is an urgent need for the provision of psychological care in the facility. Merely pointing out to detainees during their initial meeting that they can speak with a psychologist is, in the Joint Commission’s opinion, not sufficient, especially since many detainees will probably not understand the reference on account of language 21 barriers. At Eisenhüttenstadt Pre-Deportation Detention Facility the initial meeting is conducted by shift 21 supervisors, who have undergone no socialpedagogical or psychological training. Staff from the security firm have so far been given no training in this regard, for example in recognising traumatisation. The Joint Commission recommends that the initial meeting either be conducted by a member of staff with social-pedagogical training or to introduce another meeting with a psychologist in addition to the initial meeting. Response: A graduate psychologist is currently employed for four hours per week on a freelance basis to provide psychological support to detainees awaiting deportation. In view of the low occupancy rates in the facility, this has proved sufficient so far, but her hours can be increased where the need arises. Given these occupancy rates, the creation of a part-time post – which would in principle be possible – will probably lead to the specialist’s workload being quite low. We cannot see the advantages of fixed office hours, for instance once or twice a week, compared to her current on-call availability. The meeting with the psychologist in addition to the initial admission meeting suggested by the Joint Commission is already standard procedure. An additional full-time post for a psychologist who will primarily be responsible for looking after asylumseekers in the reception centre has been requested within the context of the current supplementary budget. If this post is approved, it is envisaged that, in combination with what is currently available, all detainees will then be able to have an initial examination. We do not see the need for staff in the facility to provide any more therapies over and above what is currently available, since Eisenhüttenstadt Hospital and its psychiatric wing cooperate closely with the facility. Immediate assistance and admission are available and possible in an emergency. Should occupancy rates rise on a permanent basis, the Joint Commission’s suggestions will be re-assessed and, where necessary, the amount of psychological support provided will be increased. 1.2.3 – Further suggestions by the Joint Commission for improving the conditions of detention and response of the Ministry of the Interior of Brandenburg The purposeful activities available in the PreDeportation Deportation Facility are very limited. Currently, for instance, detainees awaiting deportation are allowed yard exercise for only one hour a day. They are not even granted longer yard exercise in the summer months. Especially in view of the low occupancy rate, the Joint Commission recommends introducing more flexible rules on yard exercise and to extend the amount of time detainees can spend outside. The availability of different sports could also be improved by purchasing more sports equipment. Only See also the Joint Commission’s general stance, II.1.5 50