Micronesia

Detains migrants or asylum seekers?

Yes

Has laws regulating migration-related detention?

Yes

Refugees

3

2015

International Migrants

2,832

2020

Population

100,000

2023

International Migrants as % of Population

2.46%

2020

Overview

Types of facilities used for migration-related detention
Administrative Ad Hoc Criminal Unknown

23 September 2020 – Micronesia

The Federated States of Micronesia, which as of 25 August 2020 had no confirmed cases of COVID-19, does not have national asylum legislation and is not a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention. According to the 2020 U.S. Trafficking in Persons Report, human traffickers target women from Micronesia for different forms of exploitation. As of […]

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J. Pasley, “Isolation and Closed Borders: Here's How Ten Pacific Island Nations are COVID-19-Free, and the Costs That Come With it,” Business Insider, 22 September 2020, https://www.businessinsider.com/heres-how-10-pacific-island-nations-are-covid-19-free-2020-9?r=US&IR=T
Last updated:

DETENTION STATISTICS

Total Migration Detainees (Entries + Remaining from previous year)
Not Available
2019

DETAINEE DATA

Total Number of Children Placed in Immigration Detention (Year)
0
2017

DETENTION CAPACITY

ALTERNATIVES TO DETENTION

ADDITIONAL ENFORCEMENT DATA

PRISON DATA

Criminal Prison Population (Year)
132
2014
Prison Population Rate (per 100,000 of National Population)
127
2014

POPULATION DATA

Population (Year)
100,000
2023
102,436
2020
104,000
2015
International Migrants (Year)
2,832
2020
117,978
2019
2,800
2015
International Migrants as Percentage of Population (Year)
2.46
2020
2.6
2015
Refugees (Year)
3
2015
0
2015
Asylum Applications (Year)
0
2014
Stateless Persons (Year)
0
2016
0
2015

SOCIO-ECONOMIC DATA & POLLS

Gross Domestic Product per Capita (in USD)
3,057
2014
Remittances to the Country (in USD)
22
2014
Net Official Development Assistance (ODA) (in Millions USD)
116.1
2014
Human Development Index Ranking (UNDP)
123 (Medium)
2015

LEGAL & REGULATORY FRAMEWORK

Does the Country Detain People for Migration, Asylum, or Citizenship Reasons?
Yes
2018
Does the Country Have Specific Laws that Provide for Migration-Related Detention?
Yes
2024
Legal Tradition(s)
Customary law
2017
Common law
2017

GROUNDS FOR DETENTION

LENGTH OF DETENTION

DETENTION INSTITUTIONS

PROCEDURAL STANDARDS & SAFEGUARDS

COSTS & OUTSOURCING

COVID-19 DATA

TRANSPARENCY

MONITORING

NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS MONITORING BODIES

NATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISMS (OPTIONAL PROTOCOL TO UN CONVENTION AGAINST TORTURE)

NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS (NGOs)

GOVERNMENTAL MONITORING BODIES

INTERNATIONAL DETENTION MONITORING

INTERNATIONAL TREATIES & TREATY BODIES

International Treaties Ratified
Ratification Year
Observation Date
CTOCTP, Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children
2011
2017
VCCR, Vienna Convention on Consular Relations
1991
2017
CEDAW, Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
2004
2017
CRC, Convention on the Rights of the Child
1993
2017
CRPD, Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
2016
2017
Ratio of relevant international treaties ratified
Ratio: 5/19
Ratio of Complaints Procedures Accepted
Observation Date
0/3
2017
Relevant Recommendations or Observations Issued by Treaty Bodies
Recommendation Year
Observation Date
Committee on the Rights of the Child § 72. "The Committee recommends that the State party , in order to further strengthen the fulfilment of children ’ s rights, consider ratifying the following core human rights instruments, to which it is not yet a party: (a) Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; (b) International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; (c) International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; (d) International Convention on the Elimination o f All Forms of R acial Discrimination ; (e) International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance; (f) International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families." 2020
2020

> UN Special Procedures

> UN Universal Periodic Review

Relevant Recommendations or Observations from the UN Universal Periodic Review
Observation Date
No 2015
2017
No 2011
2017
Yes 2021

> Global Compact for Migration (GCM)

GCM Resolution Endorsement
Observation Date
2018

> Global Compact on Refugees (GCR)

GCR Resolution Endorsement
Observation Date
2018

REGIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS MECHANISMS

HEALTH CARE PROVISION

HEALTH IMPACTS

COVID-19

Country Updates
The Federated States of Micronesia, which as of 25 August 2020 had no confirmed cases of COVID-19, does not have national asylum legislation and is not a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention. According to the 2020 U.S. Trafficking in Persons Report, human traffickers target women from Micronesia for different forms of exploitation. As of 2020, the government “remained without comprehensive standard operating procedures (SOPs) for proactive victim identification and referral to protection services. Law enforcement and judicial understanding of trafficking remained low and overall protection services continued to be insufficient.” There is little available information about the treatment of migrants or asylum seekers in immigration enforcement procedures in Micronesia. As regards the country’s prison system, the Micronesian Red Cross reported that it provided a disinfectant station to the Division of Public Safety for use by police officers and visitors to the Yap Prison. The Red Cross also visited prisoners at the facility to brief them on precautions to take to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and to provide them with first aid supplies and soap.