On 16 July, in what observers in Tunisia have called an “unprecedented decision,” the Tunisian administrative court suspended the detention of 22 migrants detained arbitrarily at the El Ouardia detention centre. The decision comes after reports of hunger strikes at El Ouardia and calls from civil society organisations for authorities to clarify the legal basis […]
United Kingdom: Covid-19 and Detention
Although the UK did not issue a moratorium on new detention orders at the height of the pandemic, the Home Office ceased issuing new detention orders for people who, under normal circumstances, would face removal to one of 49 specified countries. This was confirmed in a GDP Covid-19 survey completed by a UK government official […]
Armenia: Covid-19 and Detention
On 15 July, the GDP received a response to our Covid-19 survey concerning Armenia from a representative of an international organisation who wished to remain anonymous. The official reported that the Armenian government had not established a moratorium on new immigration detention orders and was not considering one. The official indicated that Armenia does not […]
Bosnia and Herzegovina – Human Rights Ombudsman – COVID-19 Survey Response
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Human Rights Ombudsman’s official response to the Global Detention Project’s COVID-19 survey. The GDP submitted information requests to government agencies, international organisations, National Human Rights Institutions, and NGOs requesting information pertaining to the treatment of immigration detainees during the pandemic. Responses were documented on our COVID-19 Immigration Detention Platform. More information about Bosnia […]
Colombia Immigration Detention Data Profile (2020)
Colombia Detention Data (2020) The latest detention-related data from Colombia, including immigration and detention-related statistics, domestic laws and policies, international law, and institutional indicators. View the Colombia Detention Data Profile Related Reading: Colombia: Country Page Colombia: COVID-19 Updates Working Paper: Immigration Detention Through the Lens of International Human Rights: Lessons from South America […]
Submission to the Universal Periodic Review: Lebanon
An estimated 73 percent of Syrian refugees in Lebanon lack legal status, limiting their access to services and rendering them vulnerable to abuse. In this submission to the UPR, the GDP highlights the country’s discriminatory treatment of refugees – as well as its policies vis a vis migrant domestic workers – and suggests various recommendations that the UPR Working Group should consider proposing. […]
Joint Submission to the Universal Periodic Review: Oman
Despite its reliance on foreign labour, Oman features particularly restrictive immigration and sponsorship policies that make many non-nationals vulnerable to arrest, detention, and deportation. In a joint submission to the UPR, the GDP and Migrant-Rights.org highlight key concerns related to the country’s detention practices as well as the situation faced by foreign domestic workers who are excluded from labour laws. […]
Colombia: Covid-19 and Detention
According to the Colombian Ministry of Health, as of 23 June, Colombia had 73,572 cases of Covid-19 and 2,404 deaths related to the disease. As reported by CNN, Venezuelan migrant workers, who left the country when its economy collapsed, are now returning as Covid-19 cases surge across Latin America. The Colombia-Venezuela border crossing has been […]
Bangladesh: Covid-19 and Detention
On 9 July 2020, Human Rights Watch urged Bangladeshi authorities to immediately move more than 300 Rohingya refugees, including 33 children, from the silt island of Bhasan Char to the Cox’s Bazar refugee camps to join their families. Despite inviting UNHCR and other UN agencies to Bhasan Char island, the Bangladesh government is yet to […]
Paraguay: Covid-19 and Detention
By 9 July, Paraguay had recorded 2,554 cases of Covid-19 and 20 deaths. The country has taken specific measures concerning non-citizens. The Paraguayan migration authority (Dirección General de Migraciones) has prolonged the validity of permits that expired after 13 March 2020. This measure affects people whose temporary residence permits expired after 13 March; non-citizens who […]
