Detainees at a West London immigration center have caused a disturbance after a power outage led some in the facility to arm themselves with various weapons.

The incident happened at the Harmondsworth Detention Centre in the west of London, according to the UK Home Office.

On Friday night, the detention centre near Heathrow Airport lost power. This has still not been restored as of the time of writing.

It is understood that a group of detainees left their rooms and made their way to the courtyard armed with various weapons.

However, no one was hurt according to reports and the detainees have since returned to their rooms.

This comes as the UK Government has received criticism for its handling of overcrowding at asylum and immigration facilities as well as for its response to the mounting crisis in the Channel.

Metropolitan Police Officers attended the scene yesterday at around 7.45 pm and are still at the centre.

In a statement, the Home Office said: “There has been a power outage at Harmondsworth immigration removal centre, and work is currently under way to resolve this issue.

“We are aware of a disturbance at the centre and the appropriate authorities have been notified and are on scene.

“The welfare and safety of staff and individuals detained at Harmondsworth is our key priority.”

Territorial Support Police from the Met and HM Prison Service are at the scene, where the power still has not been restored.

What is Harmondsworth Detention Centre?

The detention centre is a facility that holds adult male asylum seekers, and foreign offenders awaiting deportation as well as men residing in the UK illegally.

 

Suella Braverman controversy

The UK Government has come under increasing scrutiny for its handling of the asylum crisis in the English Channel.

However, Suella Braverman, the Home Secretary, who is in charge of overseeing the UK's asylum and immigration policy, has received a lot of criticism for her rhetoric regarding people coming to the UK.

In a speech to the House of Commons in the aftermath of a terrorist attack on a Dover migrant processing centre, Braverman said: "Let’s be clear about what is really going on here: the British people deserve to know which party is serious about stopping the invasion on our southern coast and which party is not.

“Some 40,000 people have arrived on the south coast this year alone. Many of them facilitated by criminal gangs, some of them actual members of criminal gangs.

“So let’s stop pretending that they are all refugees in distress. The whole country knows that is not true."