Are these plans definitely going to get the go-ahead?

No. The Government will choose between creating the new 405 spaces at an extension at Yarl's Wood or a new centre in Bicester. The Government's preferred option would also need planning permission.

How would this affect the current set-up at Yarl's Wood?

The extension at Yarl's Wood would be on the same site at Clapham, but Home Office officials say the two sections would not be adjoining. The women-and-families only area would continue, and the new section would be built to prison service category B/C.

Why do we need more asylum places?

The UK Border Agency says it removed 4,200 foreign national prisoners from the UK last year and deported a total of 63,140 illegal migrants, but claims more spaces are needed to make the asylum process more efficient. There are currently ten removal centres in England, but there are shortages of places for single males.

What sort of people would be kept at the new part of Yarl's Wood?

There are four categories of people who are kept at immigration removal centres:

** Foreign prisoners who are being returned to their home country;
** Failed asylum seekers;
** People who are considered illegal immigrants after entering legally but overstaying their visas or working when their visas do not allow them to;
** People going through a fast-track immigration process.

All of these could be kept at the extended Yarl's Wood - including foreign criminals.

What is the history of Yarl's Wood?

The original Yarl's Wood cost £80 million and held 900 inmates, but was burnt down after a riot by inmates on Valentine's Day 2002, three months after it first opened.

Prisons ombudsman Stephen Shaw said the events were "on a scale never before seen", other than in the worst prison riots, and criticised and an "ambitious and unachievable" policy from the Government.


MP slams move to double size of Yarl's Wood - read the main news story here