Expansion of the detention estate
The Government is committed to a policy of a fair and robust immigration system that:
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allows those with a legitimate reason to remain in the United Kingdom; and
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has procedures in place to remove those who are not entitled to remain.
Expanding the number of removal centres is a critical part of the UK Border Agency's plans to increase the rate of removal of failed asylum seekers and illegal immigrants, and to allow the fast removal of those who come to the United Kingdom and break the rules. 
We are currently evaluating two sites owned by the Home Office, in Oxfordshire and Bedfordshire, for potential new immigration removal centres. The site in Oxfordshire would provide around 800 beds; Bedfordshire would provide up to 500 beds. Both sites will be taken forward to planning permission stage, when a decision will be taken on which centre to proceed to develop first.
Manchester STHF - Manchester short-term hold facility (STHF) has been refurbished and expanded. The new 32-bed centre was formally opened on 5 December 2008.
General expansion - We continue to take up other opportunities for general expansion of the estate in the existing centres. 
New centre at Gatwick
Brook House immigration removal centre is a new, secure, purpose-built, 426-bed centre, adjacent to the existing facility at Tinsley House near Gatwick airport. Based on the successful design of Colnbrook immigration removal centre at Heathrow, the centre is due to open in early 2009.
Demolition and re-build of two wings at Harmondsworth immigration removal centre
Two of the wings at the existing Harmondsworth centre, near Heathrow airport, are being demolished in preparation for building two new secure wings. Construction of the new wings is to commence in January 2009, ending in June 2010 with an opening date later that year.