A company responsible for transporting prisoners across Scotland has been linked to a US multinational involved in controversial immigration enforcement under former US President Donald Trump. GEOAmey, which runs Scotland’s prisoner escort service, is partly owned by the GEO Group, a major private prison company in the United States with long-standing ties to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
GEOAmey currently holds a £240 million contract to escort prisoners in Scotland until January 2027. While the company operates in the UK as a joint venture, its parent firm, GEO Group, has donated money to Donald Trump and is deeply involved in the US private detention system. One of its subsidiaries, BI Incorporated, reportedly provides investigators who help ICE track migrants to their homes and workplaces for arrest.
ICE has faced strong criticism in recent years for its enforcement tactics, including the use of masked officers, tear gas during raids, and the detention of US citizens. Public anger has grown further following incidents such as the fatal shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis. Critics say GEO Group has benefited financially from the expansion of migrant detention and enforcement during Trump’s presidency.
In Scotland, GEOAmey has also faced serious performance issues. The company has been fined millions of pounds after prisoners arrived late to court more than 10,000 times in just 10 months. Scotland’s prison watchdog warned that these failures put prisoners’ human rights at risk, describing the transport system as unacceptable.
There have also been security concerns. Earlier this year, a man convicted of raping a 15-year-old escaped from GEOAmey custody at the High Court in Edinburgh before being recaptured later the same day. The company has blamed staff shortages and court backlogs for its ongoing problems.
The GEO Group’s record in the UK has also drawn criticism in the past. Its UK subsidiary previously ran the Dungavel immigration detention centre, where asylum seekers were paid just £1 an hour for work in 2018, leading to accusations of forced labour. Reports also raised concerns about poor conditions and inadequate mental health facilities at the centre.
Despite these controversies, GEOAmey reported profits of around £7 million across 2023 and 2024 and paid £10 million to shareholders during the same period. The company also received millions in public funds, including £1.8 million in 2024, with further payments expected. It was reportedly the only bidder for the Scottish Prison Service transport contract in 2018.
Human rights groups and politicians have strongly criticised the arrangement. Amnesty International UK said the GEO Group was making huge profits while supporting harsh immigration policies in the US. Scottish Greens MSP Maggie Chapman said it was disturbing that a company linked to ICE was trusted with public services in Scotland, arguing that profit was being placed above human dignity.
In response, GEOAmey said it operates independently from its US parent and has no operational links with ICE. The company acknowledged GEO Group’s long relationship with the US government but stressed that it spans several administrations. ICE, GEO Group, and the Scottish Government declined to comment on the issue.