Home Office sets out rules on use of force against adults in immigration detention

The Home Office has made Detention Services Order (DSO) 11/2025, "Use of Force for Adults in Detention", available on GOV.UK. It contains mandatory instructions for Home Office staff, contracted service providers and healthcare staff.

Who it covers

The document covers detained people over 18 in immigration removal centres (IRCs), Pre-Departure Accommodation (PDA) and residential short-term holding facilities (RSTHFs). It does not apply to people in Residential Holding Rooms.

According to the document, this is version 2.0. The implementation date is given as November 2025, the publication date as December 2025, and a review is planned for November 2027. The owner is Frances Hardy, Deputy Director of Detention Services.

Main rules

Use of force means physical action taken to manage risk. It may include techniques from Personal Safety Training, handcuffs or other physical interventions. The document lists example situations: preventing self-harm, protecting others, stopping damage to property and maintaining safety during incidents.

Force may be used only when it is necessary, reasonable and proportionate. It must be a last resort and must never be used to provoke or punish, in line with Rule 41 of the Detention Centre Rules 2001. Staff are to try de-escalation first wherever possible. Every use of force must be accurately and fully reported and monitored. The document also refers to Articles 2, 3 and 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Training and oversight

Detainee custody officers (DCOs) must complete at least 8 hours of practical and theoretical refresher training every year. Anyone who has not done so within the previous 12 months may not work with detained people until they have completed it. Instructors are accredited every 12 months by HM Prison and Probation Service.

Planned use of force must be approved and overseen by a supervising officer or incident manager. For such an intervention there must be at least three DCOs for each detained person. That number may rise following a risk assessment.

Health and vulnerable people

Staff must know the signs of medical distress during restraint. They include breathing difficulties, serious injury and vomiting. When force is used on someone who is, or is suspected to be, pregnant, a healthcare professional must be consulted and their advice followed. Such a person must not be held face down on the floor or moved in that position.

Rigid bar handcuffs are described in the document as preferable to other methods involving physical force. They must not be applied until at least two members of staff have gained minimum control of the person. After an incident, the document provides for steps such as a debrief of the staff involved.

What this means for you

The rules apply only to people held in immigration detention, so they do not affect most people living in the UK. They matter for anyone who ends up in such a centre for immigration reasons, and for their families. The document describes staff obligations, not the complaints procedure.