The UK Home Office has come under fire after advertising a new role for a religious affairs manager to oversee worship and provide advice to detained migrants, including helping them get married while awaiting deportation.
The full-time post was listed for the Campsfield immigration removal centre near Oxford, which is set to accommodate up to 560 detainees, including failed asylum seekers, foreign nationals convicted of crimes, and migrants facing removal from the UK. The job description outlined responsibilities such as running religious services, supporting multi-faith activities, and counseling detainees who requested marriage, including making arrangements for weddings inside or outside the facility.
Under human rights law, foreign nationals held in custody are legally entitled to marry or enter civil partnerships, provided there are no legal obstacles and the relationship is genuine. However, concerns have been raised that such marriages could be used as a last-minute attempt to avoid deportation. Home Office guidance acknowledges the risk of “sham” marriages but clarifies that only registrars have the authority to block unions on those grounds.
Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, strongly criticized the job advert, calling it “an absurd insult to the British taxpayer.” He argued that individuals in detention—whether in the UK illegally or awaiting deportation as foreign criminals—should be removed swiftly instead of being supported to marry. “This role shouldn’t even exist. They should be deported quickly with minimum delay and expense,” he said.
The disclosure follows criticism of other activities advertised at immigration centres, such as balloon craft, floristry, and painting classes for migrants awaiting deportation. Supporters argue such services reflect basic rights and welfare standards, while critics say they undermine public confidence in border enforcement.
The Home Office guidance stresses that investigators can intervene if evidence suggests a relationship is not genuine or is designed to exploit immigration loopholes. For a marriage to be blocked, authorities must prove there is no authentic relationship and that at least one party is attempting to circumvent UK immigration rules.
Immigration removal centres currently provide around 2,500 places, including beds for some 100 Channel migrants detained ahead of deportation under the new UK-France “one in, one out” deal. Ministers plan to increase capacity to 3,500 by reopening Campsfield and Haslar in Gosport, Hampshire, as part of a wider effort to deter record numbers of Channel crossings.
More than 31,000 migrants have crossed the English Channel so far this year, a 40% increase compared to the same period in 2024, and the highest figure since the small-boat crisis began in 2018. Since Labour took power, more than 50,000 have arrived, putting pressure on the government’s new immigration strategy.
A Home Office spokesperson said the government had started reviewing education and welfare activities across detention centres. “We are working with immigration removal centre providers to ensure services reflect government expectations. The scope of recruitment is being reviewed,” the spokesperson said.
After media inquiries, the Home Office took down the religious affairs manager advert, though reports suggest any eventual recruit would still be responsible for overseeing marriage requests made by detainees.