Dear colleague,

I am undertaking some research for Birth Companions, an organisation working with women who are pregnant and are giving birth during or following detention. At present most of this work is done with women currently or previously detained in Holloway Prison. However I have been asked to undertake some research into the needs of asylum seeking women in detention centres, and refugees and asylum seekers in other prisons, who are pregnant and/or who have babies under the age of 6 months.

Part of the research entails looking at the general conditions in which these women are held and the care they receive, and on what basis it is actually legal to hold pregnant women and new mothers, as I understand that the holding of pregnant women is only possible in 'exceptional circumstances'. I have some idea of what they are entitled to, from BID's recent report on the rights of families in detention and am hoping to be able to talk to somebody there to gain more detail, but I am also interested in the reality of the situation these women face. For example, are there any particular health issues relating to their pregnancy/motherhood, what access do they have to post and ante-natal care, and a proper diet? Where do they give birth and does anyone support them during this process? What happens after the baby is born?

Below is a copy of my brief and would be very grateful for any information you could provide me with.

A. The women
1. How many pregnant refugee/asylum seeker women are held in detention across the UK?
2. How many refugee/asylum seekers are held with young babies or separated from young babies?
3. Where are they?
4. How long are women held and what happens at the end of their detention? Where have they arrived from?

B. Their care
5. What are the conditions of their detention?
6. Are there any particular issues they face relating to their pregnancy/motherhood? e.g. what access do they have to antenatal/postnatal care? Proper diet? Where do pregnant women give birth? Does anyone support them? How are they treated? What happens after the baby is born?

C. Who is doing what
7. What organisations are working to support refugee/asylum seeker women detention in the UK? (plus contact details) What is their remit?
8. What campaigns are underway?

D. Assessment of unmet need
9. Are there any areas of unmet need in relation to pregnant refugee/asylum seeker women and refugee/asylum seeker mothers in detention in the UK? Who should be meeting these needs?

E. Bibliography and appendices
10. A list of articles and publications relating to this area.
11. Any other information that is pertinent to this area.