AVID Annual Report April 2024-March 2025

Follow this link to read our annual report.

The theme for our annual report for this period is the seeds which we have sown to strengthen our community and prepare for the future. This has taken place against the backdrop of a new Labour government in the summer of 2024 and broken promises of change.

Our work has focused on strengthening the conditions for long-term change - ensuring that what we build is resilient, connected, and capable of growing even in difficult terrain.

Gee Manoharan and Miranda Reilly, Co-Director's Report

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Read our annual report for an overview of the changes that have taken place during this period including: the welcome end to the plans to deport people seeking asylum to Rwanda - which nevertheless caused devastation to communities and resulted in hundreds of people being detained - a new Government and the re-commitment to detention expansion alongside an increase in charter flights and deportations.

In our annual report, you can also read about how we have responded and the steps that we have taken to widen access to our knowledgebase on immigration detention, shift power to people with lived experience of detention and to strengthen our ecosystem of visitor groups whilst increasing collaboration with partners in the migration and refugee movement.

AVID’s network remains a vital source of solidarity, connection, and humanity. Visitors’ groups across the UK continue to provide practical and emotional support to people in detention, countering isolation and dehumanisation. Beyond this, the network serves as a space for collective learning, mutual support, and shared advocacy. The resilience, compassion, and dedication of volunteers, members, and partners — often in the face of significant emotional and operational challenges — are a powerful reminder that another approach is possible.

Basma Doukhi and Hannah Cooper, Co-Chair's Report

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