What to expect on arrival

In order to gain entry to a centre you will need to provide proof of identity. You can find out exactly which identity documents you will need by looking on the website of the centre you are visiting.

Your fingerprint details and other biometric information taken from you on entry will be stored by the IRC management contractor. People who have been detained previously are allowed to enter detention centres as visitors.

You will be asked for the name of the person you are visiting. You may have to go through a pat down search and an electronic scan where you will have to empty your pockets and remove your shoes. The process can be slow, so make sure you arrive early enough to make time for this before your visit.

Once inside, you will usually be asked to wait in a designated area until a custody officer calls you to say that the person you are visiting is ready for you in the visits room.

The person you are visiting will be notified by a guard that they have a visitor. They are escorted into the visiting room, and will usually get a rub-down body search in a separate room prior to entering the visiting room and after they leave. Some centres may prohibit people in detention from taking their phone into the visiting room.

What personal items can I take with me?

In some centres, all personal property must be left outside, including money, the contents of your pockets as well as your mobile phone. There may be coin-operated lockers for you to leave personal property.

Some centres will allow paper and a pencil, information leaflets, or paperwork, while others do not. It is very important to follow centre regulations to maintain your right to access the visiting hall.

Check with your coordinator to find out precisely what you are allowed to take in with you.

Can I take in items for the person I am visiting?

You may be asked by the person you are visiting to bring specific items that they cannot purchase in the shop and are not provided by the centre. Shops provide a very limited range of food and toiletries, and people are provided with limited clothing.

Your visitor group will have a policy or guidance on taking items for the person you are visiting, and this should be followed carefully.

Any items bought in for someone in a detention centre or prison will undergo checks before they are passed to the recipient. There are limits to the amount (volume and/or weight) of personal belongings that people in detention centres and prisons are allowed to have in their possession and in storage. There are also tight restrictions on the type of item that can be handed in by visitors. It is important to follow these regulations as visitor groups.

Rules around what you can take to someone in detention are on the website of each centre.