On 1 February, 131 (mainly Rohingya) refugees escaped from an immigration detention centre in the Malaysian state of Perak following reported riots in the facility, called the Bidor Temporary Immigration Depot. This is the second mass escape in two years from a Malaysian detention centre, which observers say underscores the inhumane conditions that immigration detainees […]
Reports of Refoulement in Kyrgyzstan Amidst Fears of Shrinking Asylum Space
In December, UNHCR expressed “grave concern” at the disappearance of an asylum seeker in Kyrgyzstan and his refoulement to his country of origin. Similar incidents have been reported in recent years, with rights observers also decrying the country’s shrinking asylum space. According to UNHCR, on 16/17 October an asylum seeker was arrested by security services […]
FRANCE: New Immigration Law Ends Detention of Children but Eases Deportation
A controversial new immigration law has come into force in France that prohibits detention of children while at the same time limiting access to social assistance for migrants and facilitating removal procedures. […]
Urgent Appeal on the Situation of Myanmarese Refugees in India
India has become an increasingly important destination for refugees fleeing Myanmar since the 2021 coup d’état. While the Indian government has condemned the violence, it has simultaneously ordered several frontline states to identify “illegal immigrants” with a view to deporting them. As states expand their detention systems there are increasing reports about mistreatment in custody, paltry detention conditions, and pushbacks along the border. […]
Policy and Practice Updates From the Gulf
In the past year, detention and deportation operations have been on the rise across the Gulf region. The GDP’s partner in the region, Migrant-Rights.org, has been documenting and reporting on these campaigns. They have detailed how every week “hundreds of migrant workers [are] detained in searches and raids. Most workers are detained for having inaccurate […]
Slovenia Extends Border Controls and Announces Migrant “Handling Facilities” at Croatian Border
Amid a rise in the number of irregular arrivals intercepted at the country’s border, the Slovenian government has introduced increased border controls along its Croatian and Hungarian borders and announced plans to establish a migrant “handling facility” at the Obrežje border crossing. According to Slovenian police, 60,587 people were intercepted while attempting to enter Slovenia […]
Russian Legislators Introduce Amendments to Administrative Code
In December Russia introduced important amendments to its Code of Administrative Offences–including limiting the maximum period of detention in immigration detention facilities to 90 days, and permitting detainees the right to apply to a court to verify the legality of their detention. […]
UN Experts Denounce Human Rights Backsliding in EU Migration Pact
UN Experts Denounce Human Rights Backtracking in EU Migration Pact […]
As Finland Closes Eastern Border, Authorities Announce Plans for New “Registration Centres”
In response to what authorities have described as “instrumentalised migration” at its eastern frontier, in November Finland took the extraordinary step of closing its entire border with Russia. The government has also permitted the Immigration Service to establish “registration centres” where arrivals can be held for up to seven days. In November, Finland recorded a […]
New York State: The Dignity Not Detention Act
A new white paper from students at Cornell’s Brooks School of Public Policy (State Policy Advocacy Clinic) provides a detailed look into immigration detention policies in the state of New York. […]
