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FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: 997-2023
I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 30th October 2023 as follows:
How many people detained under UK immigration legislation powers, have been held in Police cells from 01 May 2018 to 30 April 2023, disaggregated by year, nationality and whether the stays were for up-to 24 hours; for 24-48 hours; for 48-72 hours; for 72 hours plus?
Please find the Warwickshire Police response set out below.
Response: Please be advised that not all of the requested information is centrally recorded and is therefore not held in a readily retrievable format. In order to determine the total time that a detainee is held in a police cell in relation to immigration offences it would require manual calculation which would only be possible by scrutinising the custody record for each and every individual detained. Although not the exact period stated within your request, we know that, during the period 2018 to 2022 there were 544 individuals detained in relation to immigration offences, and, at a conservative estimate of 10 minutes per record to review, this process would equate to in excess of 90 hours of work at the very least. Since the information requested here covers a greater time period, this would in fact be much longer. Therefore, this would exceed the cost threshold of £450, which equates to 18 hours work at a standard rate of £25 per hour, as stated in the Freedom of Information (Fees and Appropriate Limit) Regulations 2004.
In accordance with Section 12(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, this letter is a Refusal Notice for this part of the request, and, if one part of a request exceeds the fees limit, then Section 12 of the Act applies to the whole request.
In accordance with Section 16 of the Act, I have a duty to provide advice and assistance in relation to refining your request; however, due to the requirement to individually examine each record in detail, I am unable to suggest a way to revise the request into one that could be managed within the fees limit unless you were to reduce your request to, say, one year only in relation to this element of your request.
However, should you wish to withdraw this element entirely, it may be possible to provide information for the entire period in relation to the number of individuals detained in cells under immigration legislation from 01 May 2018 to 30 April 2023, disaggregated by year and nationality.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided is as accurate as possible.
Your attention is drawn to the below which details your right of complaint.
Should you have any further enquiries concerning this matter, please write or email the Freedom of Information Unit quoting the reference number above.
Yours sincerely
Freedom of Information Officer
Freedom of Information Unit
Warwickshire Police
PO Box 4
Leek Wootton
Warwickshire
CV35 7QB