By the end of July, Mauritius had recorded nearly 350 cases of Covid-19 as well as 10 related deaths. Mauritius began taking precautionary measures early. On 22 January, the government began screening people upon arrival at the airport and from 28 February, despite there being no confirmed cases in the country, authorities began quarantining visitors […]
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DETENTION CAPACITY
ALTERNATIVES TO DETENTION
ADDITIONAL ENFORCEMENT DATA
PRISON DATA
POPULATION DATA
LEGAL & REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
Does the Country Have Specific Laws that Provide for Migration-Related Detention?
GROUNDS FOR DETENTION
Criminal Penalties for Immigration-Related Violations
Grounds for Criminal Immigration-Related Incarceration / Maximum Length of Incarceration
Has the Country Decriminalised Immigration-Related Violations?
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
CAT, Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
1992
2017
CTOCSP, Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime
2003
2017
CTOCTP, Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children
2003
2017
Ratio of relevant international treaties ratified
Ratio: 11/19
Relevant Recommendations or Observations Issued by Treaty Bodies
Treaty Body
Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
Recommendation Year
2019
Recommendation Excerpt
§ 33. The State party intensify its efforts to protect the rights of migrant workers and, in particular: (a) Continue to raise awareness among migrant workers of their rights provided in legislation and of the complaint mechanisms available to them; (b) Improve the complaint mechanisms and provide complainants with the necessary assistance, including legal assistance; (c) Apply deterrent penalties for contravening employers; (d) Establish a regulatory framework for recruitment agencies and monitor their activities; (e) Strengthen cooperation with workers’ countries of origin, through bilateral agreements, to protect and promote the rights of those workers.
Sources
Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, "Concluding observations on the fifth periodic report of Mauritius," E/C.12/MUS/CO/5, 5 April 2019, https://uhri.ohchr.org/Document/File/ec0dfdfe-0ca3-4772-b81e-b8a4734d7ac6/526D23FF-9323-4EFA-8E52-0DACC791EE57
> UN Special Procedures
> UN Universal Periodic Review
Relevant Recommendations or Observations from the UN Universal Periodic Review
Recommendation Issued
No
Year Issued
2024
UPR Cycle
4th
Sources
Human Rights Council, "Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review: Mauritius", 24 January 2024, United Nations General Assembly, https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/g24/034/77/pdf/g2403477.pdf
Recommendation Issued
No
Year Issued
2013
Sources
Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review* Mauritius, A/HRC/25/8, 26 December 2013, https://www.upr-info.org/sites/default/files/document/mauritius/session_17_-_october_2013/a_hrc_25_8_mauritius_e.pdf
Recommendation Issued
No
Year Issued
2009
Sources
Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review* Mauritius A/HRC/11/28, 3 March 2009, https://www.upr-info.org/sites/default/files/document/mauritius/session_4_-_february_2009/ahrc1128muse.pdf
HEALTH CARE PROVISION
HEALTH IMPACTS
COVID-19
Country Updates
By the end of July, Mauritius had recorded nearly 350 cases of Covid-19 as well as 10 related deaths. Mauritius began taking precautionary measures early. On 22 January, the government began screening people upon arrival at the airport and from 28 February, despite there being no confirmed cases in the country, authorities began quarantining visitors from countries with a large number of cases. In mid-March, only essential services were allowed to remain open. The situation was then relaxed from April onwards, albeit with strict controls.
On 30 April, the Construction Workers’ Union of Mauritius (CMWEU) reportedly assisted 44 unpaid and Covid-19 vulnerable Indian migrant workers employed by an Indian construction company. The workers had not received their wages for the month of March despite a government commitment to shoulder half of the workers’ salaries to ensure income security. The Indian workers said that they had not been provided with any personal protective equipment (PPE) and that they lacked money to buy toiletries, such as soap and toothpaste, for their personal hygiene.
There does not appear to be a dedicated immigration detention system in the country, nor specific legislation relating to immigration detention. However, criminal sanctions (fines and prison terms) for offences such as irregular entry or making false or misleading statements in connection with entry or exit from Mauritian territory, may be imposed. Also, according to Mauritius' response (dated 29 March 2019) to the UN Committee on Migrant Worker’s Draft General Comment No. 5 on Migrants’ Rights to Liberty and Freedom from Arbitrary Detention Questionnaire, there is no law or policy on the granting of refugee status or political asylum in Mauritius and attempts to treat applications for refugee status or political asylum on a case-by-case basis by facilitating their settlement in a country willing to receive them.
The GDP has been unable to find reports indicating that authorities have adopted any measures to assist migrants.
Government Agencies
Ministry of foreign affairs - https://foreign.govmu.org
Immigration office - https://passport.govmu.org/passport/
International Organisations
UNHCR - https://www.unhcr.org/where-we-work/countries/mauritius
IOM - https://www.iom.int/countries/mauritius
ILO - https://www.ilo.org/regions-and-countries/africa/mauritius
NGO & Research Institutions
Caritas - https://www.caritas.org/where-caritas-work/africa/mauritius/
Amnesty International - https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/africa/east-africa-the-horn-and-great-lakes/mauritius/
Human Rights Watch - https://www.hrw.org/africa/mauritius
