Bail for Immigration Detainees

What Bail for Immigration Detainees does

Bail for Immigration Detainees (BID) is a UK-registered charity founded in 1999 that delivers free legal advice, information, and representation to people held in immigration detention. Its primary clients are individuals detained under immigration powers in the UK's seven Immigration Removal Centres (Dungavel, Heathrow, Brook House, Tinsley House, Yarl's Wood, Derwentside, and others) and prisons, including people facing deportation, vulnerable adults such as torture and trafficking survivors, and families affected by removal decisions. Service delivery runs through a telephone advice line (Monday-Thursday 10am-12pm, 020 7456 9750), face-to-face legal advice at detention facilities, postal communication, and a multilingual self-help website; the charity has answered over 8,000 calls annually and supported more than 45,000 people since inception.

The core product set comprises a free legal advice line, in-person legal casework (bail applications, First-tier Tribunal representation, judicial reviews, deportation appeals), self-help guides in multiple languages, research and policy publications, the 'Voices from Detention' storytelling platform, and focused programs such as the Rwanda Project, Travel Document Project, and Stop GPS Tracking campaign. There is no proprietary technology stack; the organization holds OISC Level 3 accreditation (Ref. N200100147), is registered with the ICO as a data controller (Z4954749), and is a member of the Fundraising Regulator. There are no patents, software products, or APIs.

BID is funded entirely by voluntary donations and small-scale fundraising events, accepts no government funding, and is non-political and non-religious. Its go-to-market is community-led: awareness and fundraising run through a website (biduk.org), active social channels (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X), email newsletters, research and press coverage, and events such as the London Legal Walk and Hackney Half Marathon. Headcount is 51-100 employees, leadership comprises Director Charlotte Buckley (Trustee Chair Suhan Rajkumar), and the charity participates in a wide coalition of UK immigration and civil-rights organizations including Detention Action, Medical Justice, ILPA, and Liberty.

Name

Bail for Immigration Detainees

Legal name

Bail for Immigration Detainees

Website

https://biduk.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Bail for Immigration Detainees (BID) is a UK charity, founded in 1999, that provides free legal advice, representation, and policy advocacy to people held in immigration detention and facing deportation. It serves vulnerable adults, families, and trafficking survivors through an advice line, in-person casework, and research.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Immigration Legal Aid

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Migrant & Refugee Legal Aid and Documentation Services (BPADAHAE), Protection Services (GBV, Child Protection, Safeguarding) (BPADAHAF)

Keywords

• Immigration legal aid
• Immigration detention law
• Refugee rights advocacy
• Immigration bail support
• Immigration policy research

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Voluntary Donations: BID is a small, independent charity funded entirely by voluntary donations. Every penny donated goes directly into advice work, keeping the phone lines open and training volunteers.
2. Fundraising Events: BID raises money through events such as the London Legal Walk and Hackney Half Marathon, with previous runners raising over £15,000.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Bail for Immigration Detainees (BID) provides free legal advice, information, and representation to people held in immigration detention across the UK. Services are delivered through a dedicated telephone advice line, face-to-face legal advice at Immigration Removal Centres and prisons, and a team of trained volunteers supporting casework and bail applications. The charity complements direct legal services with self-help guides, research and policy reports, and advocacy campaigns aimed at ending immigration detention.

Product overview

Bail for Immigration Detainees (BID) is a charity offering a suite of legal advice and advocacy services for people held in UK immigration detention. The core offering consists of a free legal advice telephone line, legal casework representation, and self-help guides and resources. BID complements its direct services with research and policy publications (including Legal Advice Surveys, accommodation delay reports, and GPS tracking studies), a storytelling platform (Voices From Detention), campaign work (Stop GPS Tracking), and specialized programs such as the Rwanda Project and Travel Document Project. Volunteer programs support casework and fundraising activities. The organization is accredited by OISC at Level 3 and publishes annual reports documenting its impact.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Free Legal Advice Line A free telephone advice line providing direct legal advice to people held under immigration powers in UK Immigration Removal Centres and prisons. Open Monday to Thursday 10am–12pm, it serves as the primary entry point for detainees to access free legal advice from BID.
• Legal Casework (Representation) Free legal representation and casework for individuals held in immigration detention, covering bail applications, judicial reviews, and deportation appeals, with visits to Immigration Removal Centres and prisons to provide in-person legal support.
• Guides & Resources (Self-Help Materials) Self-help guides, fact sheets, and resources published on the BID website, including the 'How to Get Out of Detention' guide, covering bail applications, deportation appeals, and navigating immigration detention. Available in multiple languages for detainees and their representatives.
• Research & Policy Reports Research publications, including Legal Advice Surveys, accommodation delay reports, solitary confinement studies, GPS tagging impact reports, and parental deportation studies, used to inform policy advocacy and challenge detention practices.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 45,000 people supported since 1999
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Detention ActioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 February 2026Member of coalition issuing joint statement on the harm caused by the UK-France 'One-in, One-out' Scheme. Collaborates on campaigns, research, and advocacy to end immigration detention.
• Medical JusticecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 February 2026Long-standing partner providing independent medical assessments for detainees. Co-authored research on GPS tagging, trafficking survivors, and detention conditions.
• Jesuit Refugee Service UKcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 February 2026Partner in coalition work providing support to refugees and asylum seekers, including those affected by the UK-France 'One-in, One-out' Scheme.
• Immigration Law Practitioners Association (ILPA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 February 2026Professional association of immigration lawyers. Collaborates on research, briefings, and advocacy on immigration detention policy.
• Humans for Rights NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 February 2026Partner in documenting and supporting age-disputed children and vulnerable individuals in immigration detention.
• Gatwick Detainees Welfare GroupminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 February 2026Member of coalition supporting people affected by UK-France 'One-in, One-out' Scheme, reporting on conditions at Brook House IRC.
• Scottish Detainee VisitorsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 February 2026Coalition partner providing support to immigration detainees in Scotland.
• Women for Refugee WomenminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 February 2026Coalition partner supporting women refugees and asylum seekers, including those in detention.
• Association of Visitors to Immigration Detainees (AVID)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 February 2026Coalition partner representing visitors to immigration detainees across the UK.
• Migrants' Rights NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 February 2026Coalition partner advocating for migrants' rights in UK immigration policy.
• CapitaminorOthers · 12 February 2026Private company profiting from Home Office GPS surveillance contracts. BID campaigns against Capita's involvement in intrusive surveillance technology.
• Joint Council for the Welfare of ImmigrantscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 January 2025Coalition partner in joint civil society statements on the Rwanda Bill and other immigration policy issues.
• Detention Action, Medical Justice, and ILPAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 July 2024Produced collaborative 'Introduction to Immigration Detention: 2024 Briefing Series' providing comprehensive briefings on UK immigration detention.
• Taskforce on Survivors of Trafficking in Immigration DetentioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 April 2024BID participates in this multi-organization taskforce working to build a better system for trafficking survivors in immigration detention.
• LibertycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 June 2021Joint letter with 42 organizations calling for an end to intrusive GPS monitoring of immigrants.
• Children's SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical partner in campaign to end child detention, contributing to policy changes that led to the abolition of child detention under the coalition government.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Detention Action: London-based charity focused on ending UK immigration detention through casework, research, and policy advocacy. Operates the Detention Outreach service at IRCs and frequently co-publishes reports as the most direct comparator to BID's service model.
• Medical Justice: Provides independent medical assessments for detainees and exposes inadequate healthcare in detention. Long-standing BID coalition partner with a directly overlapping beneficiary base and joint research outputs.
• Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI): National charity challenging immigration policy and supporting migrants through legal casework and strategic litigation. Frequently collaborates with BID on coalition statements and shares the same donor and policy ecosystem.
• Women for Refugee Women: Charity supporting women asylum seekers and refugees in the UK, including those held in detention. Coalition partner of BID and addresses a beneficiary sub-segment also served by BID's vulnerable adults programme.

Broad incumbents

• Refugee Council: Largest UK charity working with refugees and asylum seekers, providing advice, advocacy, and resettlement support. Overlaps with BID on asylum and detention issues but operates at much larger scale and across the full refugee journey.
• Liberty: UK human rights and civil liberties organization operating across a broader portfolio (privacy, protest, speech, detention). Joint letter signatory with BID on GPS tagging and a coalition partner, but covers a much wider issue agenda.
• Refugee Action: UK charity providing advice and advocacy for refugees and asylum seekers, including those leaving detention. Similar service-delivery model to BID but with broader geographic and service scope.

Regional players

• Scottish Detainee Visitors: Scotland-based volunteer-led charity visiting immigration detainees at Dungavel and elsewhere. Coalition partner of BID, providing equivalent UK regional outreach with a comparable volunteer-driven model.
• France Terre d'Asile: Leading French NGO supporting asylum seekers and refugees, including those in administrative detention, with legal aid and advocacy services. Closest EU peer to BID's model given the cross-Channel 'One-in, One-out' scheme focus.

Others

• Immigration Law Practitioners' Association (ILPA): Professional association of immigration lawyers and advisors that maintains a referral network and produces legal resources. BID is an institutional member; ILPA is an enabler/ecosystem partner rather than a direct service provider.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/biddetention
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC8fD4BXOhyBhbBr2Ck6GoHw
• Facebookfacebook.com/BIDdetention
• Instagraminstagram.com/biddetention

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bail for Immigration Detainees