02 June 2020 – Lebanon

While the Lebanese government has so far managed to keep infections down, the pandemic has exposed barriers that refugees face in the country. Despite hosting the highest per capita concentration of refugees worldwide, Lebanon is not party to the 1951 Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol. An estimated 73 percent of Syrian refugees in the […]

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01 June 2020 – Portugal

Responding to the Global Detention Project’s Covid-19 survey, IOM Portugal reported that no moratorium on new immigration detention orders has been established and that there has been no indication in the legislation that detention is to be halted. However, since the onset of the Covid-19 crisis, the number of detention orders issued by judges has […]

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01 June 2020 – Panama

Responding to the Global Detention Project’s Covid-19 Survey, the UN human rights regional office in Panama (ROCA) reported that Panama has not established a moratorium on new immigration detention orders and that the country is not contemplating the measure. ROCA also explained that no immigration detainees have been released and that there are no “alternatives […]

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31 May 2020 – Cyprus

Cyprus has experienced increasing tumult in its reception system even as the country has continued to deport people during the pandemic. Approximately 200 Georgian citizens were deported from Cyprus during the month of May after their asylum applications were rejected. The Interior Minister also announced the “voluntary return” of 150 Cameroonians. On 6 May, following […]

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Honduras Immigration Detention Data Profile (2020)

Honduras Detention Data (2020) The latest detention-related data from Honduras, including immigration and detention-related statistics, domestic laws and policies, international law, and institutional indicators. View the Honduras Detention Data Profile Related Reading: Honduras: Country Page Report: Immigration Detention in Honduras (2015) Submission to the UN Committee on Migrant Workers: Honduras (2015) […]

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Afghanistan Immigration Detention Data Profile (2020)

Afghanistan Detention Data (2020) The latest detention-related data from Afghanistan, including immigration and detention-related statistics, domestic laws and policies, international law, and institutional indicators. View the Afghanistan Detention Data Profile Related Reading: Afghanistan: Country Page Afghanistan: COVID-19 Updates Afghanistan: International Law […]

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29 May 2020 – Algeria

Responding to the Global Detention Project’s Covid-19 survey, a non-governmental actor in Algeria reported that expulsions of undocumented people have been halted since 21 March 2020, though information from news sources appears to contradict this claim. The source, who asked to remain anonymous but whose identity was verified by the GDP, said that they did […]

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29 May 2020 – Macedonia

In response to the Covid-19 crisis, North Macedonia announced on 17 March the closure of all its borders. President Stevo Pendarovski called a state of emergency for 30 days, which was later extended for an additional month. Strict measures were put in place, including curfew and the compulsory use of masks in public places where […]

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29 May 2020 – Honduras

As of early May, Honduras continued to receive some 100 returned men and women from the United States every day, according to the IOM (5 May). Although no cases of Covid-19 amongst returnees had yet to be detected, IOM reported that it was helping prepare Honduran authorities in the case of an outbreak, including working […]

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COVID-19 Reveals the Inherent Vindictiveness of Migration Detention

While calls to protect prison populations have steadily grown during the Covid-19 pandemic, another detainee population has seemingly been overlooked in many parts of the world: immigration detainees.  In country after country and across all regions of the world, as authorities worked to shrink their prison populations, often by targeting low-level offenders and those nearing […]

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