Campaign groups such as the “Campagna Nazionale contro la detenzione amministrativa di migranti” have highlighted the risks of the spread of Coronavirus within immigration detention centres in Italy, especially given the poor hygiene conditions and particular vulnerability of detainees. In addition, Italy’s national detainee rights guarantor, Mauro Palma, has urged the government to assess whether […]
European Union
Germany: Covid-19 and Detention
On 16 March, Germany reintroduced border controls, stationing federal police at the borders with Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg and Denmark. The Ministry of Interior said that in coordination with the neighboring countries and authorities in all German federal states with external borders, the border police are ordered to turn away all travelers without a valid […]
Belgium: Covid-19 and Detention
Belgium halved its immigration detention capacity (from 609 to 315 spaces) in the weeks after the outbreak of the pandemic. By 19 March, the total number of detainees in the country’s six detention centres had dropped to 304. However, because reception centres for asylum seekers are no longer accepting new arrivals and detainees are being […]
Hungary: Covid-19 and Detention
Among the initial cases of confirmed Covid-19 infections in Hungary were a group of Iranian students studying in Budapest. This spurred Hungarian authorities to capiltiaze on the pandemic to stoke xenophobia, blaming migrants and refugees for the spread of the virus. Prime Minister Viktor Orban said there was a “clear link” between illegal immigration and […]
Ireland: Covid-19 and Detention
Ireland does not have specialized immigraiotn detention centres, instead using prisons and jails to detain people for immigration reasons. In Irish prisons, the prison administration announced on 13 March 2020 restrictions regarding visits. Visits are only allowed for 15 minutes, once a week and per prisoner. Visitors under the age of 18 and those that […]
Poland: Covid-19 and Detention
On 23 March 2020, the Ministry of Justice announced plans to extend a programme under which some prisoners are allowed to serve their sentence at home to help curb the spread of coronavirus. The proposal could benefit up to 12,000 prisoners and they would be kept under electronic supervision. The GDP has been unable to […]
Immigration detention In Ireland (from report of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture 2019 visit to Ireland)
Immigration detention (Read full CPT report) 24. In the course of its previous visits to Ireland, the CPT has reiterated that a prison is bydefinition not a suitable place in which to detain someone who is neither suspected nor convicted ofa criminal offence. In those cases where it is deemed necessary to deprive persons of […]
Border Police establishments & Immigration detention facilities from report of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture 2014 visit to Bulgaria)
A. Border Police establishments; (Read full CPT report)7. Under the Law on Aliens in the Republic of Bulgaria (LARB), foreign nationals may be detained by the Border Police, on their own authority, for up to 24 hours. If it is needed to prolong the period of detention beyond the 24 hours, the foreign national must […]
Cas particulier des personnes non admises à la frontière franco-italienne (from the report of the European Committee for thr Prevention of Torture 2018 visit to France)
Cas particulier des personnes non admises à la frontière franco-italienne (Read full CPT report) 94. Afin de comprendre la situation des personnes déclarées non-admises sur le territoirefrançais à la frontière franco-italienne, la délégation s’est rendue à Menton. Elle a d’abord observéle déroulement de plusieurs interpellations effectuées en gare de Menton-Garavan avant de serendre au poste-frontière […]
Temporary Accommodation Centre (from report of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture 2018 visit to Georgia)
B. Establishments for foreign nationals deprived of their liberty under aliens legislation; (Read full CPT report)32. The CPT’s delegation carried out a first-time visit to Georgia’s only immigration detentionfacility (opened in 2014), the Temporary Accommodation Centre of the Migration Department ofthe Ministry of Internal Affairs (hereafter, TAC or the Centre). Located in Varketili district ofTbilisi, […]
