More of us are migrants now than at any other point in human history.
People leave their homes for many reasons – often forced to make difficult journeys away from everything and everyone they have ever known in search of safety and better opportunities.
Since 2009, International Detention Coalition has been advocating to prevent immigration detention. IDC is solutions-focused, and we work directly with governments, decision-makers, civil society organisations, UN agencies and other actors to achieve this goal, delivering practical alternatives that benefit individuals, communities and society at large.
IDC works on multiple fronts to end immigration detention – we strengthen the global movement against immigration detention, advocate for changes to laws and policies, investigate and generate evidence, and promote practical alternatives to detention.
We believe people should be able to live freely while they await the outcome of their immigration case, and we advocate for the human rights and dignity of everyone impacted by immigration detention.
Ultimately, we want to get people out of immigration detention and into a life within the community, where they can be with loved ones, contribute to society and benefit from education, healthcare, employment and more.
Today, IDC is the world’s leading network dedicated to ending immigration detention.
Over time, the network has grown to include organisations and communities on the ground in more than 75 countries around the world. IDC is directed by Carolina Gottardo, a migrant leader and global human rights advocate, and our diverse team and board are made up of migrants, refugees and allies.
IDC is guided by an International Advisory Committee consisting of advocates, academics and professionals, some of whom also have lived experience of migration, displacement and immigration detention. Together, we represent hundreds of members – including civil society organisations, community groups and non-profits – as well as countless other individual supporters across the globe.
Human beings migrate – we always have and we always will.
Together, we can ensure that human rights transcend all borders.
Our timeline
2003
NGO representatives gather in Geneva to discuss the need for an international coalition on immigration detention
2006
The International Detention Coalition (IDC) is formally registered in Australia and a steering committee is appointed
2009
IDC is incorporated as an NGO, with Grant Mitchell appointed as Director. The coalition quickly reaches more than 200 members around the world
2011
IDC kicks off work in five different regions: Africa, Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East and North Africa
2012
IDC launches the Global Campaign to End Immigration Detention of Children
2013
IDC begins supporting governments and civil society in the Asia Pacific region to address immigration detention issues and build networks focused on alternatives to detention, particularly for children, kickstarting long-standing regional and national movements
2014
IDC is formally registered as a non-profit in the United States and attains observer status with the UN Economic and Social Council
2015
IDC launches its first joint government-civil society pilot programme, enabling a group of unaccompanied migrant children in Mexico to live in the community rather than detention
2016
IDC is granted ECOSOC status, allowing the organisation to fully participate in the UN
2017
IDC co-founds the European ATD Network, which brings together organisations across Europe working towards alternatives to detention
2017
IDC ensures that alternatives to detention and ending child detention are written into the Global Compact on Migration
2019
IDC launches a regional peer-learning platform in Asia Pacific, which brings government and civil society together to work on alternatives to child detention in the region
2019
IDC begins co-leading the UN Working Group on alternatives to detention, alongside UNHCR and UNICEF
2020
IDC appoints Carolina Gottardo – a migrant leader and global human rights advocate – as Executive Director
2022
IDC and UNICEF bring together governmental delegations from Jordan, Egypt, Djibouti, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Sudan and Morocco to discuss protections for child migrants and refugees
2022
IDC is formally registered as a foundation in the Netherlands, under the name Stichting IDC
2023
IDC re-launches our regional programme in Africa, with a particular focus on Southern Africa and East and Horn of Africa
2024
IDC is a truly global team, with people working from different regions all around the world
