Namibia

Featured Report

Detains migrants or asylum seekers?

Yes

Has laws regulating migration-related detention?

Yes

Refugees

4,685

2022

Asylum Applications

2,512

2022

International Migrants

109,391

2020

Population

2,600,000

2023

Featured Report

Overview

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

Related Reading

December 2019
Namibia Immigration Detention Data Profile (2019)
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09 April 2021 – Namibia

9 April 2021

Namibia, located in southwestern Africa and with a population of approximately 2.5 million, had recorded 44,374 COVID-19 cases and 528 related deaths as of 1 April 2021. The country appeared to avoid severe outbreaks of infection during the early months of the pandemic. However, the number of cases has continued to surge since mid-2020. At […]

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Osire Refugee Camp Entrance (Namibian Broadcasting Corporation,
Last updated:

DETENTION STATISTICS

Total Migration Detainees: Flow + Stock (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)
3,742
2016
4,314
2011
4,251
2010
4,064
2007
4,442
2004
4,727
2001
4,381
1998
3,555
1995
2,711
1992
Percentage of Foreign Prisoners (Year)
5.5
2001
Prison Population Rate (per 100,000 of National Population)
149
2016
184
2011
185
2010
188
2007
218
2004
244
2001
239
1998
212
1995
176
1992

POPULATION DATA

Population (Year)
2,600,000
2023
2,500,000
2020
2,459,000
2015
International Migrants (Year)
109,391
2020
107,561
2019
93,900
2015
International Migrants as Percentage of Population (Year)
4.31
2020
3.8
2015
Refugees (Year)
4,685
2022
3,733
2021
3,578
2020
3,182
2019
2,400
2018
2,189
2017
1,747
2016
1,737
2015
1,767
2014
Ratio of Refugees Per 1000 Inhabitants (Year)
0.7
2016
0.74
2014
Asylum Applications (Year)
2,512
2022
1,156
2019
548
2016
205
2014
Refugee Recognition Rate (Year)
100
2014
Stateless Persons (Year)
0
2022
0
2016
0
2015

SOCIO-ECONOMIC DATA & POLLS

Gross Domestic Product per Capita (in USD)
5,408
2014
Remittances to the Country
11
2014
Unemployment Rate
2014
Net Official Development Assistance (ODA) (in Millions USD)
226.6
2014
Human Development Index Ranking (UNDP)
126 (Medium)
2015

MIGRATION-RELATED DETENTION

Does the Country Detain People for Migration, Asylum, or Citizenship Reasons?
Yes
2023
Yes
2019
Does the Country Have Specific Laws that Provide for Migration-Related Detention?
Yes
2023
Yes
1999

GOVERNANCE SYSTEM

Legal Tradition(s)
Customary law
2017
Common law
2017

LEGAL & REGULATORY FRAMEWORK

Detention-Related Legislation
Namibia Refugees (Recognition and Control) - Act 2 of 1999 (1999)
1999

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

HEALTH CARE

COVID-19 DATA

INTERNATIONAL TREATIES

International Treaties Ratified
Ratification Year
Observation Date
CTOCSP, Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime
2002
2017
CTOCTP, Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children
2002
2017
CRSR, Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees
1995
2017
CRPD, Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
2007
2017
CRC, Convention on the Rights of the Child
1990
2017
CAT, Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
1994
2017
CEDAW, Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
1992
2017
ICCPR, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
1994
2017
ICESCR, International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
1994
2017
VCCR, Vienna Convention on Consular Relations
1992
2017
ICERD, International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
1982
2017
Ratio of relevant international treaties ratified
Ratio: 11/19
Individual Complaints Procedures
Acceptance Year
CEDAW, Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, 1999 2000
2000
ICCPR, First Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 1966 1994
1994
CRPD, Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2007
2007
Ratio of Complaints Procedures Accepted
Observation Date
3/7
2017

NON-TREATY-BASED INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS MECHANISMS

Relevant Recommendations from the UN Universal Periodic Review
Observation Date
No 2016
2017
No 2011
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) 2004
2004
2017
ACRWC, African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child 2004
2004
2017
ACHPR, African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights 1992
1992
2017

DETENTION COSTS

OUTSOURCING

FOREIGN SOURCES OF FUNDING FOR DETENTION OPERATIONS