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Immigration Officers: Restraint Techniques

Volume 495: debated on Monday 6 July 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance his Department provides to immigration officers on the use of control and restraint techniques. (282990)

All immigration officers undertaking arrest activity are trained on a three week bespoke course for the UK Border Agency which is guided by the Personal Safety Manual approved by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO).

A key component of the course is conflict management. Immigration officers are taught a range of verbal and physical techniques to equip them for undertaking enforcement activity in a safe and managed way for both themselves and the people they come into contact with. Immigration officers are required to be refreshed on this component annually.

Further guidance on control and restraint can be found in the Enforcement Instructions and Guidance at Chapter 45.2.10, which is available to view on the UK Border Agency website at:

http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/policyandlaw/guidance/enforcement/