The Irish Department of Justice and Equality announced that all immigration permits due to expire between 20.03.2020 and 20.05.2020 are to be automatically renewed for a period of two months. In addition, the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection introduced a Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment, accessible to all workers irrespective of legal status. The […]
European Union
Slovakia: Covid-19 and Detention
Immigration detention in Slovakia has become an increasingly punitive measure, especially since the refugee crisis of 2015. Detention centres resemble prisons, with barred windows and uniformed policemen carrying truncheons. In cases of age disputes, unaccompanied children are considered adults during the assessment and are at risk of being detained alongside adults until bone tests prove […]
Greece: Covid-19 and Detention
On 15 April Greece began relocating to Luxembourg unaccompanied children from camps on the islands of Lesbos, Samos, and Chios, which are severely overcrowded. There are reportedly some 5,000 unaccompanied children in Greek camps, and the country has plans “to relocate about 1,600 vulnerable children to other European countries that volunteer to host them, amid […]
Cyprus: Covid-19 and Detention
The Ministry of the Interior issued a statement in early April responding to NGO criticism of the living conditions in two reception centres where asylum seekers and refugees were moved to: Pournara and Kofinou. The statement by the Ministry mentions that they are “doing everything humanly possible to provide housing, food and medical care to […]
Poland: Covid-19 and Detention
On 1 April 2020, the Polish Government decided to extend visas for all non-citizens who hold work permits, national visas, or a temporary residence permit, for 30 days after the end of the emergency state. The Office for Foreigners stated that “based on this extended stay, a foreigner will not be able to travel on […]
Luxembourg: Covid-19 and Detention
As of 15 April 2020, Luxembourg had 3,373 confirmed cases of Covid-19 along with 69 deaths. On the same day, the Prime Minister announced that from 20 April 2020, confinement measures would be de-escalated, with construction works restarting and DIY stores opening. Luxembourg has also begun to receive unaccompanied children, relocated from camps on the […]
Germany: Covid-19 and Detention
Protests were reported in the Halberstadt reception centre, where more than 800 people have been under lockdown since 27 March 2020 due to positive Covid-19 tests in the facility. The lack of sanitary products and effective hygiene measures highly increases the risk of infection. Reports indicate that up to 50 people share a single toilet […]
Malta: Covid-19 and Detention
As the country ramped up its response to the coronavirus pandemic in mid-March, the country’s Economy Minister announced that all foreign workers laid off during the pandemic would have to be deported from the country. Although he later apologised for the comments, explaining that “choice of words was unfortunate,” he has continued to face significant […]
France: Covid-19 and Detention
Almost 50 detainees at Mesnil-Amelot took over a courtyard at the facility to protest poor sanitary conditions and to demand their release. On 12 April, police intervened to end their protest. According to detainees, violence and tear gas were used to disperse them – but the police deny this. The facility is the largest immigration […]
Portugal: Covid-19 and Detention
Several dozen civil society organisations as well as more than 100 individuals have issued an open letter calling for the immediate release of all immigration detainees. The letter, issued on 9 April, highlighted the risk of contamination of Covid-19 in immigration detention centres due to poor health care provision; hygiene conditions and overcrowding. Reports also […]
