Migrants and asylum seekers in Morocco have reportedly been deported to the Algerian border and left in the desert. According to the NGO Caminando Fronteras, even though borders have been shut due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Morocco has deported more than 100 people, including children. A sub-saharan migrant reported that he was left in Maghnia […]
Africa
Mauritania: Covid-19 and Detention
With the support of Frontex, an agreement between Spain and Mauritania allows for the return of Mauritanian nationals or migrants arriving in the Canary Islands. In 2018, four flights were carried out. However, from mid 2019 to mid March 2020, nine flights took place. According to the Mixed Migration Centre, at the beginning of the […]
Libya: Covid-19 and Detention
Reports indicate that while Libya has taken steps to release some prisoners, its detention centres for holding migrants and asylum seekers remain in operation. In Tripoli, 466 prisoners were released in early April. Although many migrant detention centres are still functioning, staff have reportedly been reduced to a minimum. Doctors Without Borders reported that the […]
Egypt Immigration Detention Data Profile (2020)
Egypt Detention Data (2020) The latest detention-related data from Egypt, including immigration and detention-related statistics, domestic laws and policies, international law, and institutional indicators. View the Egypt Detention Data Profile Related Reading: Egypt: Country Page Submission to the UN Committee on Migrant Workers: Egypt Egypt: COVID-19 Updates […]
Egypt: Covid-19 and Detention
Egypt does not operate dedicated facilities for immigration-related detention, nor is there an official list of detention sites for this purpose. However, according to Decree 659 (1986), the following prisons should be used for the temporary custody of foreigners awaiting deportation: Qanater El-Kharereya Men’s Prison, Qanater El-Khayereya Women’s Prison, Alexandria Prison, Port Said Prison, and […]
Jordan: Covid-19 and Detention
Migrant workers in Jordan have been given a deadline to leave the country, as authorities announced that they would prioritise the employment of Jordanian citizens in the wake of the crisis. Having initiated a strict lock-down to control the virus, the country has started to loosen measures and businesses have now been given the green […]
Kenya Immigration Detention Data Profile (2020)
Kenya Detention Data (2020) The latest detention-related data from Kenya, including immigration and detention-related statistics, domestic laws and policies, international law, and institutional indicators. View the Kenya Detention Data Profile Related Reading: Kenya: Country Page Kenya: COVID-19 Updates Kenya: International Law […]
Algeria: Covid-19 and Detention
In correspondence with the Global Detention Project (GDP), UNHCR Algeria reports that the Algerian Government “suspended collective expulsions of migrants in irregular situations in Algeria in mid-March due to the Covid-19 crisis. However, it is reported that groups of nationals from Niger continued to be removed to Niger in March and April, although in smaller […]
South Africa: Covid-19 and Detention
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 […]
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 […]
