On 23 June, the GDP was invited to speak at a Collective Aid webinar, “Immigration Detention: From Global Trends to Bosnia and Herzegovina.” Presenting their latest research report examining conditions within Bosnia and Herzegovina‘s Lukavica Detention Centre, Collective Aid’s Advocacy Manager Anna Gruber highlighted serious deficiencies in the centre, including degrading living conditions, a near-total […]
News & Events
MSF-Italy General Assembly Keynote: The Global Expansion of Immigration Detention, “Unleashed from Human Rights”
11 April 2026 In a keynote address at MSF-Italy General Assembly in Italy, the GDP’s Executive Director issued a stark warning: immigration detention is not only expanding worldwide—it is becoming more punitive, less accountable, and increasingly detached from basic human rights standards. Alongside panellists Stefano Anastasia (the Guarantor for the rights of detainees for the […]
The GDP Announces Changes to its Executive Committee
The Global Detention Project’s Executive Committee today announces a leadership change, with the appointment of Kirsten Sandberg as the Board’s Interim President, replacing Sahar Okhovat. The former Chair of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC), Ms. Sandberg joined the GDP’s Executive Committee in 2019. She has been an unwavering source of […]
Joint Letter on the Impact of the UN Liquidity Crisis and the UN80 Initiative on Children’s Rights
In a joint letter, more than 100 signatories–including the Global Detention Project–have urged the Permanent Missions to the United Nations in Geneva and New York and the Secretary-General of the UN to ensure that any reforms proposed in the name of efficiency do not weaken the protection and promotion of children’s rights. […]
From Pledges to Practice: Scaling Up Responses on Alternatives to Detention, Protection at Sea and Trafficking
On 7 July, the GDP’s Refugee Advocacy Coordinator spoke at a UNHCR-led event on the harmful impacts of immigration detention, as well as the emergence and on-going challenge of ‘alternatives to detention’ (ATDs) and how we might reframe ATDs from a harm-reduction point of view. […]
The GDP Addresses the UN Committee on Migrant Workers: Mexico, Jamaica, Niger
On 7 April, the GDP’s Refugee Advocacy Co-ordinator Abdul Aziz Muhammat participated at a UN Committee on Migrant Workers at an informal briefing for NGOs and NHRIs. One of a small handful of NGOs providing input, his participation was an important opportunity to place immigration detention concerns directly in front of the Committee. In our […]
The CMW Reaffirms Key Norms in its General Comment on the Global Compact for Migration
In January, the CMW released its much anticipated “General Comment No.6”. The GDP, which provided both written and oral interventions during the drafting stages, is pleased to observe that several key issues have been explicitly referenced in the final document. […]
The Health Implications of Immigration Detention: A Global Problem
Paper given by GDP Director Michael Flynn at the conference “Crimmigration through Time, Space, and Culture,” organised by the CINETS scholars network at Lewis & Clark Law School (Portland, Oregon, 1-2 March 2024) Introduction This paper provides a summary of key findings from an ongoing research project at the Global Detention Project aimed at broadening […]
Human Rights of Migrants in Transit: The Need for Independent Monitoring
Hybrid Side Events the 57th Session of the Human Rights Council Tuesday, 8 October at 15:00-16:00, room XXV Migrants continue to face widespread and systematic human rights violations and abuses in transit that remain inadequately monitored, documented, or addressed, feeding impunity and exacerbating the dehumanization of migrants. The Human Right Council adopted resolution 53/24 on prevention and […]
Toward Ending Immigration Detention for Asylum Seekers and Refugees
Human Rights Council 57th Session Side Event, 18 September 2024 STATEMENT BY ABDUL AZIZ MUHAMAT (GLOBAL DETENTION PROJECT) I would like to thank UNHCR for inviting me to participate in this important event aimed at rolling back use of immigration detention across the globe. As a refugee who spent many years in immigration detention, I have […]
