South Africa’s main dedicated immigration detention centre is Lindela, located near Johannesburg. However, the country also uses police stations and prisons routinely to hold undocumented immigrants and asylum seekers. There are some 237 prison and jail facilities in the country, and severe overcrowding is common. As of 5 May, there 69 cases of confirmed infections […]
Africa
Kenya: Covid-19 and Detention
Irregular migrants in Kenya are detained in immigration holding facilities, but also in prisons or in general police custody. The conditions in Kenya’s prisons are worrying, as migrants may face assault and sexual abuse, with limited legal assistance. The National Council for the Administration of Justice announced on 2 April the release of 4,000 prisoners […]
Burkina Faso: Covid-19 and Detention
Burkina Faso has rapidly turned into an “unprecedented humanitarian emergency” as conflicts in the Sahel region have displaced hundreds of thousands of people in the past two years, according to MSF. As the Covid-19 pandemic takes hold in the country, UNHCR has expressed alarm over “the growing insecurity in Burkina Faso, where violence is forcing […]
Tunisia: Covid-19 and Detention
Following reports of protests and hunger strikes in El Ouardia Detention Centre by detainees demanding their release (see 18 April update), Tunisian civil society organisations have called on authorities to clarify the legal basis for detainees’ continued detention. According to the NGOs, migrants and asylum seekers continue to be arrested and detained in Tunisia, despite […]
Morocco: Covid-19 and Detention
As of 28 April 2020, Morocco has registered 4,120 Covid-19 cases and 162 deaths related to the disease. The country has adopted several measures to combat the pandemic including compulsory quarantine from 20 March, the grounding of all flights, school and university closures, and reducing public transportation. To address urgent medical needs and to mitigate […]
Zambia Immigration Detention Data Profile (2020)
Zambia Detention Data (2020) The latest detention-related data from Zambia, including immigration and detention-related statistics, domestic laws and policies, international law, and institutional indicators. View the Zambia Detention Data Profile Related Reading: Zambia: Country Page Zambia: COVID-19 Updates Zambia: International Law […]
Zambia: Covid-19 and Detention
Although the number of confirmed Covid-19 infections in Zambia remains low (76 as of 22 April), the rate of infection continues to rise. A land-locked country, Zambia announced in late March that it would not close its borders because of the economic impact this would have. President Edgar Lungu said on 26 March, “Zambia is […]
Malawi Immigration Detention Data Profile (2020)
Malawi Detention Data (2020) The latest detention-related data from Malawi, including immigration and detention-related statistics, domestic laws and policies, international law, and institutional indicators. View the Malawi Detention Data Profile Related Reading: Malawi: Country Page Malawi: COVID-19 Updates Malawi: International Law […]
Malawi: Covid-19 and Detention
As of 19 April Malawi did not have any reported cases of Covid-19. The country has also not taken any measures to lockdown businesses as the country’s High Court blocked such measures in a ruling on 19 April. However, there are growing concerns among civil society organizations about the impact the virus could have in […]
Rwanda Immigration Detention Data Profile (2020)
Rwanda Detention Data (2020) The latest detention-related data from Rwanda, including immigration and detention-related statistics, domestic laws and policies, international law, and institutional indicators. View the Rwanda Detention Data Profile Related Reading: Rwanda: Country Page Rwanda: COVID-19 Updates Rwanda: International Law […]
