Bulgaria’s extremely long immigration detention of a Saudi law student and human rights activist reveals the degrading conditions in which migrants and asylum seekers are detained in the country. It also reflects a broader trend in Europe and globally: the de facto use of immigration detention for purposes that may have nothing to do with […]
MENA
Trapped Between Borders: Tunisia’s Alarming Treatment of Sub-Saharan Migrants
Tunisia has come under renewed criticism from rights groups after authorities rounded up sub-Saharan migrants and asylum seekers and forcefully relocated them to a buffer zone between the Tunisian and Libyan border. Videos shared online show men, women, and children–some with injuries–stranded close to the sea, reportedly without any food or water. Surging Discrimination According […]
“THIS IS A SLOW DEATH”: An Urgent Appeal on the Plight of Afghan Refugees Indefinitely and Arbitrarily Detained in the UAE
For a year and a half, thousands of Afghan refugees fleeing Taliban persecution have been trapped in a de-facto detention facility in the United Arab Emirates. Evacuated from Afghanistan by private actors, the refugees have languished in prolonged arbitrary detention at an emergency evacuation compound in Abu Dhabi called the “Emirates Humanitarian City”. Evacuated, But […]
STATEMENT: The Impact of the Türkiye/Syria Earthquake on Immigration Detention Centres and Detainees (International Refugee Rights Association & Global Detention Project)
The catastrophic earthquake that hit southeastern Türkiye and neigbouring Syria on 6 February 2023, as well as the dozens of aftershocks that have hit the region since, have had a devastating impact on millions of people in the region and caused the death of more than 40,000 people. The Turkish government has declared a state […]
Italy and the EU “Complicit” in Crimes Against Non-Nationals in Libya
The brutal treatment of refugees and migrants in Libya has been widely condemned and reported. Intercepted by the country’s coastguard and returned to Libyan “disembarkation zones,” non-nationals are placed in immigration detention facilities where conditions are inhuman. They face indefinite detention with frequent water and food shortages; overcrowding; physical mistreatment and torture; forced labour and […]
Oral Submission: GDP Partner, IRRA, Provides Input on Issues Related to Immigration Detention in Türkiye at the UN Committee on Migrant Workers’ 35th Session
On Monday 19th September, the GDP’s Türkiye-based partner – the International Refugee Rights Association (IRRA) – delivered a virtual presentation at the 35th Session of the UN Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families. This oral submission drew the committee’s attention to Türkiye’s laws and practices […]
TÜRKIYE: Joint Submission to the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families
Together with the International Refugee Rights Association, the GDP has submitted information to the Committee on Migrant Workers concerning Türkiye’s immigration detention laws and practices. In particular, the submission highlights reports of ill-treatment and limited access to health care; the detention of vulnerable groups; and the treatment of migrants identified as Yabancı Terörist Savaşçı. […]
The GDP and Migrant-Rights Submit Freedom of Information Requests to Government Agencies in UAE
On 21 June 2022, the GDP and Migrant-Rights.org submitted freedom of information requests regarding immigration detention practices to UAE’s Ministry of Interior; Judicial Department (Human Rights Office); Federal Authority for Government Human Resources; Ministry of Human Resources Emiratisation; and Statistics Center. In particular, we requested the following information: The GDP and Migrant-Rights.org did not receive a response […]
The GDP and Migrant-Rights Submit Freedom of Information Requests to Government Agencies in Saudi Arabia
On 21 June 2022, the GDP and Migrant-Rights.org submitted freedom of information requests regarding immigration detention practices to Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Interior (General Department of Expatriate Affairs), General Authority for Statistics, and Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development. In particular, we requested the following information: The GDP and Migrant-Rights.org did not receive a response from […]
The GDP and Migrant-Rights Submit Freedom of Information Requests to Government Agencies in Qatar
On 21 June 2022, the GDP and Migrant-Rights.org submitted freedom of information requests regarding immigration detention practices to Qatar’s Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs; Planing and Statistics Authority; and Ministry of Interior (including its Legal Affairs Department; General Directorate of Civil Defence – Administrative Affairs Department; and General Directorate of Coasts and Borders Security […]
