An Overview Of Promising ATD in the Era of COVID-19

The impacts of COVID-19 have been far-reaching for people in migration-related detention or at-risk of being detained. Amidst the many issues of concern that have been highlighted by the IDC, there are also a number of promising responses and practices that demonstrate how alternatives to detention (ATD) can be utilised to reduce public health concerns, while supporting compliance with human rights standards and the provision of, and access to essential services.

This Briefing Note was informed by data made available between April-August 2020 and highlights a number of promising responses identified through IDC networks and other open-access sources. The aim of this Briefing Note is to provide a snapshot of when and where changes in the immigration detention landscape have occurred in response to COVID-19.