Gabon

Detains migrants or asylum seekers?

Yes

Has laws regulating migration-related detention?

Yes

Refugees

205

2022

Asylum Applications

75

2022

International Migrants

416,651

2020

Population

2,400,000

2023

Overview

There appear to be few available details about Gabon’s immigration detention practices, but the country has laws providing for detention and numerous agencies have reported on its use. In 2022, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, in its recommendation to end "the abuse and violence against migrant women and girl workers," urged Gabon to “improve the conditions in detention facilities where women are deprived of their liberty and ensure the provision of adequate access to health care and personal hygiene items for women in detention.” In 2020, UNHCR reported that 145 migrants, including 24 children, who had been intercepted at sea were placed in an administrative detention centre under the Direction Generale la Documentation et pour l’Immigration.”

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

14 December 2020 – Gabon

Gabon registered its first COVID-19 cases in March and Parliament declared a state of emergency in early April. On 10 April, the government announced that the capital, Libreville, as well as neighbouring municipalities, would impose lockdown measures. On 3 May, UNICEF reported while Libreville remained the main hotspot. As of 14 December, Gabon had recorded […]

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People Waiting for a Drinkable Water Delivery in Libreville, Gabon, (France 24, A. Saint-Léger & C. Caracena,
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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)
3,373
2015
2,750
2006
Prison Population Rate (per 100,000 of National Population)
191
2015
196
2006

POPULATION DATA

Population (Year)
2,400,000
2023
2,200,000
2020
1,725,000
2015
International Migrants (Year)
416,651
2020
411,463
2019
268,400
2015
International Migrants as Percentage of Population (Year)
18.72
2020
15.6
2015
Refugees (Year)
205
2022
272
2021
467
2020
454
2019
687
2018
841
2017
906
2016
943
2015
1,013
2014
Ratio of Refugees Per 1000 Inhabitants (Year)
0.53
2016
0.6
2014
Asylum Applications (Year)
75
2022
27
2019
62
2016
176
2014
Refugee Recognition Rate (Year)
94.5
2014
Stateless Persons (Year)
0
2022
0
2016
0
2015

SOCIO-ECONOMIC DATA & POLLS

Gross Domestic Product per Capita (in USD)
10,772
2014
Unemployment Rate
2014
Net Official Development Assistance (ODA) (in Millions USD)
111.4
2014
Human Development Index Ranking (UNDP)
110 (Medium)
2015

MIGRATION-RELATED DETENTION

Does the Country Detain People for Migration, Asylum, or Citizenship Reasons?
Yes
2023
Yes
2020
Does the Country Have Specific Laws that Provide for Migration-Related Detention?
Yes
2023

GOVERNANCE SYSTEM

Legal Tradition(s)
Customary law
2017
Civil law
2017

LEGAL & REGULATORY FRAMEWORK

GROUNDS FOR MIGRATION-RELATED DETENTION

LENGTH OF MIGRATION-RELATED DETENTION

MIGRATION-RELATED DETENTION INSTITUTIONS

PROCEDURAL STANDARDS & SAFEGUARDS

DETENTION MONITORS

> National human rights monitoring bodies

> National Preventive Mechanisms (Optional Protocol to UN Convetion against Torture)

> Non-governmental organisations (NGOs)

> Governmental monitoring bodies

> International detention monitoring

TRANSPARENCY

READMISSION/RETURN/EXTRADITION AGREEMENTS

COVID-19 DATA

INTERNATIONAL TREATIES

International Treaties Ratified
Ratification Year
Observation Date
OPCRPD, Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
2014
2018
OP CRC Communications Procedure
2012
2018
OP ICESCR, Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
2014
2018
CRC, Convention on the Rights of the Child
1994
2017
CRPD, Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
2007
2017
CAT, Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
2000
2017
ICPED, International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance
2011
2017
CRSR, Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees
1964
2017
CTOCTP, Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children
2010
2017
CEDAW, Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
1983
2017
ICCPR, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
1983
2017
ICESCR, International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
1983
2017
ICERD, International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
1980
2017
VCCR, Vienna Convention on Consular Relations
1965
2017
OPCAT, Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
2010
2010
Ratio of relevant international treaties ratified
Ratio: 15/19
Individual Complaints Procedures
Acceptance Year
CRPD, Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2014
2014
CEDAW, Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, 1999 2004
2004
ICESCR, Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 2008 2014
2014
Ratio of Complaints Procedures Accepted
Observation Date
3/8
2017
Relevant Recommendations Issued by Treaty Bodies
Recommendation Year
Observation Date
Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women § 21. "In line with its general recommendation No. 38 (2020) on trafficking in women and girls in the context of global migration, the Committee recommends that the State party: (...) (d) Systematically investigate all allegations of exploitation, abuse and violence against migrant women and girl workers, both documented and undocumented, and ensure that abusive employers are held accountable and that their punishment is commensurate with the gravity of the offence; (...) 37. The Committee recommends that the State party: (...) (g) Improve the conditions in detention facilities where women are deprived of their liberty and ensure the provision of adequate access to health care and personal hygiene items for women in detention, in accordance with the United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (the Bangkok Rules) (General Assembly resolution 65/229 of 21 December 2010, annex). 2022
2022

NON-TREATY-BASED INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS MECHANISMS

Relevant Recommendations from the UN Universal Periodic Review
Observation Date
Yes 2017
2017
No 2008
2017
No 2012
2017

REGIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS MECHANISMS

Regional Legal Instruments
Year of Ratification (Treaty) / Transposed (Directive) / Adoption (Regulation)
Observation Date
APRW, Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol) 2011
2011
2017
ACRWC, African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child 2007
2007
2017
ACHPR, African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights 1986
1986
2017

DETENTION COSTS

OUTSOURCING

FOREIGN SOURCES OF FUNDING FOR DETENTION OPERATIONS