A spokesperson for Mitie, which runs the Harmondsworth facility, said “the physical and mental wellbeing of those in our care is of the utmost importance to us”.
“We accept that the decision to place Mr Ospina’s family in a closed room for their visit was wrong and not in accordance with our policies and procedures, and we have apologised for this.”
“A number of measures have already been implemented and we will continue working with the Home Office and Practice Plus Group to address the matters raised by the Coroner.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “We offer our sincere condolences to Mr Ospina’s loved ones, and since his death in 2023 a number of actions have been taken to improve the safeguards for individuals in detention, including an increase in staffing numbers, training and guidance for staff.
“The new government is focused on ensuring actions are taken to improve conditions in detention facilities, including reviewing the current process for communicating risk and vulnerability of detained individuals.
“We will carefully consider the coroner’s recommendations.”
If you or someone you know are feeling emotionally distressed, details of organisations offering advice and support can be found on the Action Line website.
