London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Oct 06, 2025

People at risk of suicide facing deportation to Rwanda told to try sudoku

People at risk of suicide facing deportation to Rwanda told to try sudoku

Instead of being offered counselling, those assessed to be at risk of self-harm or suicide have been given ‘how to feel better’ handouts
People at risk of suicide who have been threatened with deportation to Rwanda have been told to learn a musical instrument or to try sudoku instead of being offered counselling, the Guardian has learned.

One man, who is in his 40s and of east African descent, is being detained at Colnbrook immigration removal centre near Heathrow airport since arriving in the UK via boat in May. He has been served a notice for removal to Rwanda by the Home Office, with his solicitors being given until Friday to respond.

He has been recognised as being a survivor of torture during an assessment by medical health practitioners while in detention, who have also recognised him to be at risk of self-harm or suicide due to his current and past trauma. The man is also suspected to have been a survivor of modern-day slavery and human trafficking, which he experienced prior to coming to the UK.

Despite this medical assessment he underwent while in detention, he was not offered counselling. Instead, he received a handout with suggestions on “how to feel better”, which included the suggestions: “do a crossword or sudoku” and “play an instrument or learn how to play one”.

In the letter, from Central and North West London NHS foundation trust, dated 30 May and seen by the Guardian, the man was told: “You have been referred to the Psychology Wellbeing Service for support for the trauma that you have experienced in the past. Unfortunately, at present we are unable to provide one-to-one psychology sessions due to unforeseen circumstances.”

The letter then stated that a “trauma handout pack” would be provided, which provides “information about trauma, techniques and strategies to support yourself” while in immigration detention.

Speaking of his experience and the prospect of being sent to Rwanda, the man said: “I am unable to think clearly because of the prospect of being sent to a country that is comparable or worse from that I undertook a traumatising and long journey to escape.”

The handout included a list of “45 things you can do to feel better”, which included suggestions such as: “Do a crossword or Sudoku”, “Ask the officers for a job”, “punch a punching bag”, “do some colouring or paint” and “try aromatherapy”.

Another Iranian man who is being detained, has been served a removal notice and has also been recognised as being a survivor of torture, has received the same letter.

Gina Skandari, a solicitor at Duncan Lewis who is representing the client, said that the Home Office failed to take adequate safeguarding measures when they were notified of her client’s intention to kill himself.

She said: “Trauma-related mental health issues require expert treatment – this cannot be substituted with an information pack recommending aromatherapy and a new haircut. In light of the clear failings within the system, the Home Office should reconsider its policy on detaining vulnerable people.”

“A high proportion of the detainee population have severe mental health issues due to their implicit vulnerabilities and as a direct result of detention. The Home Office should implement more rigorous mental health screenings to identify individuals in their care who are at risk of harm, in order to offer appropriate support.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: “The health and welfare of those in immigration detention is of the utmost importance to us.

“All immigration removal centres have dedicated health facilities run by doctors and nurses who provide mental health support to NHS England standards while onsite welfare teams work to identify vulnerable individuals and provide support where necessary, including taking every step to prevent self-harm or suicide.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Three Scientists Awarded Nobel Prize in Medicine for Discovery of Immune Self-Tolerance Mechanism
OpenAI and AMD Forge Landmark AI-Chip Alliance with Equity Option
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
France Names New Government Amid Political Crisis
Trump Stands Firm in Shutdown Showdown and Declares War on Drug Cartels — Turning Crisis into Opportunity
Surge of U.S. Billionaires Transforms London’s Peninsula Apartments into Ultra-Luxury Stronghold
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Jeff Bezos Calls AI Surge a ‘Good’ Bubble, Urges Focus on Lasting Innovation
Japan’s Ruling Party Chooses Sanae Takaichi, Clearing Path to First Female Prime Minister
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Taylor Swift’s ‘Showgirl’ Launch Extends Billion-Dollar Empire
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
×