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A critical oppurtunity: immigration detention is the theme of the first report of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants. The upcoming thematic report on immigration detention will be presented at the 20th session of the Council, scheduled for June 2012. This is a crucial oppurtinity to table detention issues and the need for more community-based alternatives at the UN. Submit your contribution before the end of January.
The report itself
The Special Rapporteur intends to examine:
- Special needs and protection concerns of vulnerable groups of migrants (including children, women, families and migrants with mental health issues).
- Particular emphasis will be given to good practices of alternatives to detention.
- Different detention regimes
- Detention conditions and application of legal safeguards
- Justification and reason for detention
This report will have an important impact since it will reach 192 UN member governments. The focus on vulnerable groups will resonate with the campaign to end the immigration detention of children, which will be launched in March at the Human Rights Council.
Your input counts – submit your report
The Special Rapporteur, through the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, is seeking submissions to assist the drafting of this report. IDC calls on all members send submissions before January 30th. Submissions can include materials already publicly available as well as newly written reports about detention concerns or good practices regarding alternatives to detention . These submissions will assist the new Special Rapporteur be informed and prioritise national and thematic immigration detention issues of concern.
The IDC Secretariat will submit an international report focusing on the key areas outlined above and will draw from both the IDC’s research and findings from our regional workshops. However we need national submissions too. Double submission are not an issue, every contribution can be valuable in drawing attention to the issue in all countries and regions.
Submitting in pratice
Reports should be submitted no later than 30 January 2012. Your report can be written in any of the six UN working languages. Your report may be as simple as a one page summary of concerns regarding detention in your country, or you can bundle existing reports. You can make independent submission or network with other NGOs. Submission are not limited to legal organisations.
Send your report by email to:
Special Rapporteur, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Ms. Katarina Månsson and Ms. Federica Donati:
TO: kmansson@ohchr.org, fdonati@ohchr.org
CC: migrant@ohchr.org
BCC: info@idcoalition.org
Dear Ms. Katarina Månsson and Ms. Federica Donati,
Please find enclosed our submission to the Special Rapporteur concerning his report on the issue immigration detention.
NAME + ADDRESS
Background documents for your submission
You can reference the IDC handbook on alternatives to immigration detention
You can consult the IDC Guide: Legal framework and standards relating to the detention of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants
You can revisit the joint statement to the first immigration detention meeting at the 12th UN Human Rights Council Session for specific language on detention
Background about the Special Rapporteur Mr. Francois Crépeau
In September 2008, pursuant to Resolution 9/5, the Human Rights Council requested the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of Migrants, other special procedures of the Council and the High Commissioner for Human Rights to pay special attention to cases of arbitrary detention of migrants, particularly of migrant children and adolescents.
More information about the special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of migrants.
Examples of annual reports by Special Rapporteurs.
More information about the UN Human Rights Council.
More information about submitting individual cases or general situations of concern to the Special rapporteur.
