Having just returned from Beirut, I’m happy to share with you exciting news about the success of the first IDC workshop on immigration detention and alternatives in the Middle East and North Africa, and the subsequent launch of a new regional network to address the widespread and complex issue of immigration detention in the region.
From September 26-28, the International Detention Coalition (IDC) in collaboration with the Middle East Council of Churches(MECC) hosted the first Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Regional Immigration Detention Workshop.
The 3-day workshop was held in Beirut and attended by more than 35 participants from both IDC member organizations and other civil society actors working on immigration detention. Mr Ghassan Moukheiber, member of the Lebanese parliament, opened the workshop on Monday September 26. 9 countries were represented, with participants from organizations in Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Yemen, Bahrain, Oman and Turkey, as well as from a Hong Kong based organization working on rights for migrant workers in the MENA region. Representatives from UNHCR, OHCHR, and UNICEF also attended, along with ICRC observers.
The workshop was the first opportunity for civil society groups across the region to come together and explore regional legislation, policy and practice of immigration detention, as well as the impact of detention on vulnerable people and the importance of monitoring places of detention. The workshop included interactive sessions, providing participants with the opportunity to present their experience, skills and ideas for action.
Common Themes Experienced Across the Region were identified, and include (but are not limited to):
- Detention of migrant workers (especially domestic workers),
children, stateless persons, victims of trafficking, refugees and asylum seekers 
Lack of knowledge or implementation of procedural safeguards by detention authorities- Lack of consistent legal aid to immigration detainees resulting in lack of knowledge of or access to legal rights by detainees.
- Lack of screening prior to detention or in detention, contributing to lack of understanding of the vulnerable population and protection needs
- Criminalization of irregular migrants
- Use of prisons and police stations as places of detention
- Concerns related to treatment and conditions in places of detention and lack of psychosocial support to both detainees and workers
- Lack of protection mechanisms/durable solutions for refugees and asylum seekers
- Lack of release mechanisms and community-based support models
- Arbitrary detention
Participants decided to collaborate together as a regional network generating some ideas as to how the IDC could be of most support and relevance in the region.
Here are 5 key ideas that the group came up with:
- Need to target priority groups of concern in detention: children, victims of trafficking, stateless persons, migrant workers. Migrant workers are a significant number of the detention population in this region and IDC need to consider this group more in our advocacy work
- Ad hoc alternatives to detention already exist in many countries, the issue now is how to strengthen and formalize these; across the network members committed to work on the children’s campaign, with some fantastic ideas for tactics and messaging in the region generated; many countries in the region are transit countries.
- There is a need to consider further research in how alternatives to detention are relevant and can be applied in transit countries
- A number of participants articulated that there may be some room and interest to explore developing alternatives to detention in collaboration with civil society networks and government and requested IDC support to pursue these possibilities
- Linking IDC regional networks, so that members can learn and share with members in other parts of the world.
We are very excited about further expanding now our work in the region, and this workshop was a fantastic start. A huge thank you to David Welin of UNHCR, Esther Shaufelberger of the Association for Prevention of Torture, Mike Flynn of the Global Detention Project, and Dalia Malek for facilitating interesting and engaging sessions. Very special thank you to Seta Haeshian and all at the MECC for The IDC remains keen to reach out to other civil society organisations in the region, and would be very interested to hear of any groups who may be working on this issue and are not already in contact with the IDC. Please contact Lucy Bowring at lbowring@idcoalition.org with any ideas, questions or contacts.
Lucy Bowring
Middle East and Africa Regional Coordinator, International Detention Coalition
October 14, 2011
