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 […]
Europe
Switzerland: Covid-19 and Detention
Since the beginning of April, certain immigration detention centres, including the Frambois and Favra centres in Geneva, have been closed. Around 30 people were detained in the centres at the time. Reports suggest that they may have been assigned to a temporary residence or may be prohibited from entering a specific perimeter or region. The […]
Serbia: Covid-19 and Detention
Since March, all transit and asylum centres have been in lock-down. Raids of squats and informal accommodation have increased since then, with migrants and asylum seekers apprehended and transferred to camps across the country. According to the Border Violence Monitoring Network (BVMN), the government temporarily opened several “camps,” which have been quickly filled with new […]
Serbia Immigration Detention Data Profile (2020)
Serbia Detention Data (2020) The latest detention-related data from Serbia, including immigration and detention-related statistics, domestic laws and policies, international law, and institutional indicators. View the Serbia Detention Data Profile Related Reading: Serbia: Country Page Serbia: Detention Centres Serbia: COVID-19 Updates […]
Macedonia Immigration Detention Data Profile (2020)
Macedonia Detention Data (2020) The latest detention-related data from Macedonia, including immigration and detention-related statistics, domestic laws and policies, international law, and institutional indicators. View the Macedonia Detention Data Profile Related Reading: Country Page: Macedonia (2019) Joint Submission to the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (in Preparation for its Visit to North Macedonia) […]
Belarus Immigration Detention Data Profile (2020)
Belarus Detention Data (2020) The latest detention-related data from Belarus, including immigration and detention-related statistics, domestic laws and policies, international law, and institutional indicators. View the Belarus Detention Data Profile Related Reading: Belarus: Country Page Belarus: Detention Centres Belarus: COVID-19 Update […]
Albania Immigration Detention Data Profile (2020)
Albania Detention Data (2020) The latest detention-related data from Albania, including immigration and detention-related statistics, domestic laws and policies, international law, and institutional indicators. View the Albania Detention Data Profile Related Reading: Albania: Country Page Albania: Detention Centres Albania: COVID-19 Updates […]
Immigration Detention in Spain: A Rapid Response to Covid-19
On 6 May 2020, Spain reported that for the first time in its history, its long-term immigration detention facilities, “Foreign Internment Centres,” were empty. These centres had long been the target of activists, local politicians, and human rights bodies, who argued that they were unnecessary and abusive. The Covid-19 crisis, which shut down deportation flights, provided a final push. But enormous questions remain. […]
Albania: Covid-19 and Detention
The numbers of migrants and refugees in Albania have risen in recent years. According to the Department of Border and Migration, 11,344 people were detained at the border between January 2019 and February 2020. The Euro-Med Monitor called on the government of Albania ‘’to immediately undertake necessary measures to provide adequate housing and sufficient food […]
Belarus: Covid-19 and Detention
In response to an information request submitted by the Global Detention Project and the NGO Human Constanta, Belarus Deputy Minister of the Interior Ministry Aleksandr Barsukov confirmed that during the pandemic non-nationals who violate the country’s legislation may continue to face detention and deportation. He wrote, “For foreigners violating the legislation of the Republic of […]
