In recent weeks, Cypriot authorities have stepped up nationwide enforcement raids targeting irregular and undocumented migrants resulting in dozens of detentions and deportations. These events are part of the country’s wider focus on stepping up the return of non-nationals to their countries of origin–something that the country also seeks to prioritise during its Presidency of […]
Cameroon: Another Third-Country Removal Scheme Ending with Detention
This year, the Trump administration has quietly deported seventeen men and women to Cameroon under a murky arrangement that is part of broader U.S. efforts to send “unremovable” migrants and asylum seekers to third countries. Upon arrival in the capital Yaoundé, the deportees were reportedly detained and threatened with removal to their countries of origin. […]
GUEST POST: Poland – More Migrant Children To Be Detained Following Controversial Legislative Changes
Immigration detention of asylum-seeking unaccompanied children became legally permissible in Poland in January 2026 as a result of a 2025 amendment to Poland’s Law on International Protection. The Polish government insists that the amendment, which was adopted without public consultations, will help keep children safe despite the fact that it contravenes Poland’s obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child as well as EU and domestic law. […]
EU: New Return Regulation Threatens to Significantly Expand Detention, Warn UN Special Procedures
In a communication to the European Commission, European Parliament, and Council of the European Union, 16 UN Special Procedure mandate holders have raised alarm over the risks posed by the EC’s proposed Return Regulation, expressing serious doubts about its compatibility with international human rights obligations. […]
Djibouti: The GDP Submits Information Request to the National Human Rights Commission
The Global Detention Project has issued an information request to Djibouti’s National Human Rights Commission (Commission Nationale des Droits de l’Homme [CNDH]), requesting information regarding its 2024/2025 Annual Report on the situation of migrants in detention centres in the country. According to Article 11 of Law No.59 Concerning the Organization and Operation of the National […]
Mauritania: The GDP Submits Information Request to the National Human Rights Commission
The Global Detention Project has issued an information request to Mauritania’s National Human Rights Commission (Commission Nationale des Droits de l’Homme [CNDH]), requesting information regarding its reports detailing migrant detention centre visits. To date, we have not received a response. The CNDH has the authority to visit detention centres, allowing it to monitor conditions, document […]
Health in Immigration Detention: A GDP and WHO Report
Immigration detention poses significant risks to health and well-being, yet its use is increasing globally. In this WHO report, prepared by the GDP, the available evidence related to the health of migrants in immigration detention is reviewed, setting out the current status, main challenges, and evidence gaps. […]
Thailand: Detention and Coerced Returns of Vietnamese Refugees and Asylum Seekers
Thailand has ramped up the detention of Vietnamese migrants with reports indicating that Vietnamese officials have been given access to Thai detention facilities to coerce detainees to return. These practices, alongside high-profile cases of extradition and arbitrary detention of asylum seekers, reveal persistent breaches of human rights norms despite the fact that Thailand remains a UN Network on Migration “champion country” for implementation of the Global Compact for Migration. […]
Lithuania: Follow-Up Report to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR)
This submission assesses Lithuania’s implementation of recommendations set out in the CESCR’s 2023 Concluding Observations, specificallly addressing the treatment of asylum-seekers and undocumented migrants. […]
Australia: UN Experts Raise Serious Concerns Regarding Country’s Migrant Detention System
In December, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention delivered a sobering assessment of Australia’s immigration detention system, highlighting numerous policies that call into question the country’s adherence to international human rights obligations. […]
