Uneven business: Privatisation of immigration detention in Europe

Introduction From the United Kingdom’s privatisation of the management of its entire immigration detention estate to Germany’s decision to keep detention facilities in official hands and France’s employment of private non-profit groups in its “centres de rétention administrative”, Europe reflects the gamut of policy responses to the growth of the immigration control industry. This chapter details the variety of levels and forms of privatisation adopted by several Member States of the European Union in this area of immigration policy, as well as the challenges related to the outsourcing of immigration control.