Regional Immigration Detention Profile
The detention of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants is a growing concern in the Asia Pacific Region. At the first ever Asia Pacific Consultations on Refugee Rights, held in Kuala Lumpur in November 2008, migration-related detention was identified as a key area of concern across the region, particularly the detention of children and separation of families, the lack of release options, overarching concerns on conditions, services and rights for detainees and lack of access.

Regional detention concerns include:
· East Asia- Detention of asylum seekers and migrants has been raised as a concern.
· South Asia- The mass detention and deportation in India of people from Bangladesh, the indefinite detention of hundreds of stateless Rohingyas and other Burmese in Bangladeshi jails, and the emergence of detention of asylum seekers in Sri Lanka, for e.g from Burma.
· South East Asia– Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand included the arrest and detention of irregular migrants and refugees including refoulement of those registered by UNHCR. Also noted was the criminalisation and caning of detainees, detention of children and pregnant women and deportation of detainees with communicable diseases in Malaysia. There are also warehousing concerns raised in Thailand, particularly the impact of protracted lack of freedom of movement and denial of the right to work. It was noted that asylum seekers in the Philippines not detained if claim at border, but if located or claim later, they are detained with few avenues for release. It was noted that asylum seeker, refugee and migrant children are however not detained in the Philippines.

IDC’s work in the region
Given the number of children detained in the Asia Pacific region, it is a strategic regional focus for the IDC and we have been very active in the region in the past year. This includes supporting and building the capacity of members in the region through training, advocacy strategy meetings, regional network development and project development. To see the IDC work in this region see the ‘Our Work’ page. See below for the latest news, resources and developments and to join the Immigration Detention Working group for the Asia Pacific region, see below.

The IDC ’s work in the Asia Pacific is divided into 3 sub-regions:
1) Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific,
2) South East and East Asia, and
3) South Asia.

Regional Representatives:
To contact the IDC Regional Representatives contact:
Alice Nah, South East and East Asia Representative
James Thomson, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific (and WCC) Representative
For South Asian or Regional inquiries, please email by clicking here

Groups:
The IDC co-chairs the Immigration Detention Working Group (IDWG) of the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network. The IDWG aims to work together for the rights, dignity and well being of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants in detention in the Asia Pacific Region, through:
1) At the local level to share information, experiences, best practice and advocacy strategies to assist us in our work on the ground and develop a web-page to share information, and aim to hold a regional training on detention concerns before the next consultation.
2) On a regional level to explore advocacy strategies, including using our core position of concern on detention in the region and best practice examples, particularly on children and release options, for community education and to raise this statement directly with relevant bodies at the international level and at the regional level.
To visit or join our this group, click here Please note, membership requirements and other details of the group can be found in the groups’s terms of reference.

Members: To see our members in this region click here.