AVID (Association of Visitors to Immigration Detainees)

Who we are

We are a small national charity, and a highly respected voice on immigration detention nationally. Our small staff team is renowned for ‘punching above its weight’ in working to amplify the voices of people in detention and the volunteers supporting them. Established in 1994, we have over 25 years’ experience in working with people experiencing indefinite immigration detention and have achieved real change in this time. Immigration detention is no longer a marginalized issue, it is now recognized as one of the UK’s most pressing human rights concerns. Our strategic aim is to reduce the human and social cost of immigration detention.

Central to this is our unique structure as a membership network. AVID members are central to everything we do. A full list of our members is available on our website. Our membership is very diverse, including some registered charities with paid staff and a remit that extends beyond visiting; and other smaller, wholly voluntary groups. All members visit (befriend) detainees and share a concern about the use of detention in the UK. Our network covers some 550 volunteers all over the UK, and it is our role to support them to ensure people in detention have access to quality volunteer support at a time of great crisis in their lives. AVID and its members have a unique perspective on the realities of detention in every detention centre in the UK as well as in some prisons.  This gives us an unparalleled insight into the lived experiences and realities of immigration detention and its impacts on the ground.  We use this experience to present the case for change, raising awareness of the impact of detention and working towards systemic reform.