Severe Detention Regimes and Paltry Conditions

Detention is a key immigration enforcement measure in Hong Kong, despite the fact that detention facilities have long been criticised for poor conditions and complaints of mistreatment.

Full Country Profile

5,549

Migration Detainees

4

Number of Detention Centres

52,506

Apprehensions of Non-Citizens

Yes

Has laws regulating migration-related detention?

Australia: Turning Arbitrary Detention into a Global Brand

Deplorable migration detention practices abound across the globe; Australia, however, brings together a range of extreme policies, provides them blanket legal cover, aggressively defends them in the face of growing international opprobrium, and spreads them to countries near and far.

Full Country Profile

5,019

Migration Detainees

32

Deportations/Forced Removals

7,685,860

International Migrants

54,430

Refugees

Trapped at the Crossroad between Europe and Asia

With one of the largest migration detention systems, Turkey has long served as Europe's reluctant refugee gatekeeper ... and sometimes strong-armed enforcer, as Afghan refugees have recently experienced.

Full Country Profile

15,908

Total Immigration Detention Capacity

75,678

Deportations/Forced Removals

30

Detention Centres

122,302

Apprehensions of Non-Citizens

Still Waiting for Reforms as Europe Increases Pressure to Block Migrants and Asylum Seekers

Morocco prides itself for defending the rights of non-nationals, but its reputation has been tarnished as criticism has grown over its treatment of refugees and migrants. Increasing pressure from Europe to block the movement of migrants also encourages Morocco to use enforcement tactics that violate migrants’ fundamental human rights.

Full Country Profile

Yes

Has laws regulating migration-related detention?

102,358

International Migrants

8,244

Refugees

11,240

Asylum Applications

Using data and analysis to promote the human rights of migrant detainees

Every day, tens of thousands of men, women, and children are detained across the globe for reasons related to their immigration status: asylum seekers, undocumented migrants, refugees, trafficking victims, torture survivors, stateless persons, and others. The GDP relentlessly pursues information about where they are locked up and how they are treated to ensure that their human rights are respected.

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Featured Publications

Submissions & Recommendations

Urgent Appeal on the Situation of Myanmarese Refugees in India

India has become an increasingly important destination for refugees fleeing Myanmar since the 2021 coup d’état. While the Indian government has condemned the violence, it has simultaneously ordered several frontline states to identify “illegal immigrants” with a view to deporting them. As states expand their detention systems there are increasing reports about mistreatment in custody, paltry detention conditions, and pushbacks along the border. […]

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Detention Blog

Dominican Republic Deportations Surge as Authorities Announce Opening of New Detention Centre

Since our last update in December 2022, the Dominican Republic has continued to step up its policy of mass deportations of Haitians, violating the rights and dignity of non-nationals despite numerous calls for authorities to moderate their actions. To facilitate these deportations, the General Directorate of Immigration has announced plans to establish a new immigration […]

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