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

7,907

Refugees

10,159

Asylum Applications

Stricter Control of Administrative Detention, Increasing Criminal Enforcement of Migration

South Africa has increasingly viewed cross border movements through the lens of national security and criminality. According to observers, the country's Border Management Act, adopted in 2020, reflects this embrace of a securitisation agenda.

Full Country Profile

11,787

Deportations/Forced Removals

52

Voluntary Returns & Forced Removals

1

Detention Centres

13,352

Apprehensions of Non-Citizens

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

Detention Blog

Afghan Refugees Ordered to Leave Pakistan, or Face Deportation

Amidst a crackdown against undocumented Afghans residing in the country, Pakistan’s authorities have ordered all undocumented Afghans to leave by 1 November or face deportation. In recent weeks, hundreds of refugees have been arrested and detained on the grounds that they do not have adequate paperwork. According to reports, at least four refugees have died […]

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Detention Blog

The Threat of Detention for Myanmar Refugees in India 

Authorities in Uttar Pradesh have launched a crackdown on Rohingya refugees, leading to the arrest and detention of dozens of people apprehended during raids at camps. The arrests are part of a wider, nationwide policy targeting refugees from Myanmar. With no legal limits on detention, refugees can be held indefinitely. Recently, when a group who […]

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