A guard looks on in Pentonville Prison (Image: Getty)
Prison guards that have recently arrived in the UK are sleeping in their cars or in tents outside their jails as they have nowhere else to stay, governors claim.
Migrant prison guards are said to arrive at work expecting to be housed near the facility, however there is no accomodation near their place of work.
“We have got problems with people who turn up at the gates with cases in tow and with their families saying to the staff: ‘Where is the accommodation?’,” said Mark Fairhurst, the president of the Prison Officers Association.
One recruit, Mr Fairhurst said, was initially driving in to Nottingham from Huddersfield 70 miles away, but then begun sleeping in his car outside prison to save money.
British prisons are overcrowded (Image: Getty)
At another prison, officers set up a camp in an area of woodland opposite the prison where they worked, as there was no accomodation on or near the site, according to Mr Fairhurst.
There has been an influx of migrant prison officers because for the first time the prison service is sponsoring skilled worker visas for overseas staff following a rule change.
President of the Prison Governors Association (PGA), Tom Wheatley, said the surge in demand from overseas workers for jobs in UK prisons is driven by word of mouth.
“It’s turned into an approach that has been promoted online by the expat Nigerian community,” he claimed.
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Labour has released prisoners early since taking office in order to ease pressure on prisons (Image: Getty)
A Prison Service spokesman said: “In October 2023, changes were made to the skilled worker visa scheme which has allowed the prison service to sponsor visa applications for foreign nationals.”
“All staff – regardless of nationality – undergo robust assessments and training before they work in prisons. Our strengthened vetting process roots out those who fall below our high standards.”