The person is in the centre, details are missing
First, the detention centre, authority, file number and contact route must be known. Without this basis, requests go nowhere.
Immigration detention
Police detention centre and immigration detention: rights, visits, medical care and complaints
What relatives should secure when immigration detention is served in a police detention centre: contact, visits, medical care, documents and complaint path.
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Mag. Christopher Angerer, Rechtsanwalt
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6 August 2026 · Mag. Christopher Angerer, Rechtsanwalt
Immigration detention is often carried out in a police detention centre. For relatives, the question is not only why the person is detained, but also how contact, visits, medical care and complaints work in practice.
This article does not repeat the general requirements for immigration detention. It focuses on the situation in the police detention centre: what information is missing, which documents should be secured and when legal review of the decision or detention conditions makes sense.
Initial assessment
What to organise now in the police detention centre
The decision tree separates contact, medical care, visits and complaint.
You already know you want to send a request? Go directly to the contact form.
Which problem is currently most urgent in the detention centre?
Choose the point that best matches the current situation.
All paths at a glance
Overview of all answers.
A medical problem is acute
For health issues, reports, symptoms, notifications and reactions count. Legal review does not replace medical care.
Visits or phone contact are blocked
Visits and contact depend on detention rules, house rules and the concrete situation. Generic complaints rarely help.
Detention complaint may apply
The complaint concerns detention or its continuation. The decision, service and current facts are decisive.
Establishing contact in the police detention centre
Establishing contact in the police detention centre
Relatives should first clarify in which police detention centre the person is held and which authority is responsible. Without place, file number and contact office, neither visits nor legal access to the file can be organised sensibly.
Telephone information may be limited. A factual list is therefore important: name, date of birth, nationality, residence status, last address and known decisions.
Documenting medical care
Documenting medical care
Where health problems exist, care for the person affected comes first. Legally the matter becomes assessable only when complaints, reports, notifications and reactions are documented in a traceable way.
Relatives should not give medical instructions. They can provide medical reports, medication plans and contact data of treating doctors.
Separating detention complaint and conditions
Separating detention complaint and conditions
The complaint against immigration detention targets the order, continuation or lawfulness of detention. Problems with visits, phone calls or medical care may also matter, but they do not replace review of the detention decision.
A practical separation helps: first the decision and its reasoning, second the current situation in the centre, third new facts since detention began.
Practical overview
Which information relatives should secure
This list structures the first questions.
| Situation | What matters | First sensible step |
|---|---|---|
| Place Centre and authority | Where is the person and who decides? | Note place and file number |
| Contact Phone and visits | Which rule applies concretely? | Record contact route in writing |
| Medical Reports and complaints | Which care is needed? | Keep chronology |
| Legal protection Decision and complaint | Which decision is reviewed? | Have decision reviewed by counsel |
Practice point: In immigration detention at a police detention centre, review of the decision and concrete detention conditions should be documented in parallel. One does not replace the other.
Brandauer newsletter: Current notes on detention, imprisonment and legal protection are also available in the Brandauer newsletter.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions on police detention centres.
Who is responsible in the detention centre? +
That depends on detention, authority and place. Relatives should first clarify the centre, responsible authority and file number.
What to do in case of medical problems? +
In acute situations, care comes first. Legally important are reports, notifications, times and documented reactions.
Does a visit problem replace a detention complaint? +
No. Visit or contact problems may matter, but they do not replace review of the immigration detention decision and the detention itself.
Topics
police-detention-centreschubdetentionanhalteordnungbesuchmedizin
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