LIRS: Report: Alternatives to Detention Programs, an International Perspective
Widespread detention of non-citizens is an unnecessary component of enforcing immigration laws. Indeed, immigration detention itself, without judicial oversight, runs counter to basic constitutional principles of substantive and procedural due process and violates international human rights laws that prohibit the government from arbitrary deprivations of liberty. As concluded by the UN Special Rapporteur, “The overuse of immigration detention in the United States violates the spirit of international laws and conventions and, in many cases, also violates the actual letter of those instruments. The availability of effective alternatives renders the increasing reliance on detention as an immigration enforcement mechanism unnecessary. Through these alternative programmes, there are many less restrictive forms of detention and many alternatives to detention that would serve the country’s protection and enforcement needs more economically, while still complying with international human rights law and ensuring just and humane treatment of migrants.”
Click here to see the report from Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
Frontline Protection Manual for Human Rights Defenders
The purpose of this manual is to provide human rights defenders with additional knowledge and some tools that may be useful for improving their understanding of security and protection. It is hoped that the manual will support training on security and protection.
Click here to view Manual from frontlinedefenders.org
AI: Report: Migration-related detention
Many countries in the world now detain those arriving at their borders in search of a new life. Migrants, asylum-seekers and refugees all suffer from violations of their human rights as states mistakenly regard detention as a deterrent against undesired migratory flows. Serious factors motivate individuals to depart their homes and travel to other countries, such as civil war, human rights violations, economic or environmental problems, and these factors are more decisive than any deterrent effect of detention.
Association for the Prevention of Torture: Web resources
The APT is the international non-governmental organisation, based in Geneva, behind the ground-breaking Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture (OPCAT).
The APT is convinced that the risk of torture and other ill-treatment exists everywhere in the world. The challenge and mission of the APT is how to prevent it. For 30 years the APT has been a leading force in prevention by promoting three integrated elements of: Effective legal frameworks; Transparency of detention institutions through regular visits by independent experts; Capacity strengthening to reform practices of detention.
Click here for further information from apt.ch
UN: The refugee story in statistics
UNHCR seeks to contribute to informed decision-making and public debate by providing accurate, relevant and up-to-date statistics. This page provides data, trends and statistical reports on the "People of concern to UNHCR": refugees, asylum-seekers, returned refugees, internally displaced and stateless persons in more than 150 countries.
Click here for full report from unhrc.org
WHO: IASC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings
The Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) issues these Guidelines to enable humanitarian actors to plan, establish and coordinate a set of minimum multi-sectoral responses to protect and improve people’s mental health and psychosocial well-being in the midst of an emergency.
Click here for further information from who.int
Click here to download IASC guidelines
International Catholic Migration Commission: Press Release
In response to seven days filled with tragedies suffered by boat people off the coasts of Africa, Asia and the Americas, the International Catholic Migration Commission sounds a loud “Mayday!” to governments, international institutions, civil society organisations and the media to respond with urgency and humanity to the plight of the men, women and children in these crossings.
Click here for full press release from icmc.net
UNHCR's Refworld "Case Law Collection User Guide"
UNHCR’s Refworld (www.refworld.org) is the leading source of information enabling high quality refugee status determination. Refworld is a collection of relevant and up-to-date public-domain documents from UNHCR and its information partners throughout the world. Refworld contains country of origin/asylum information reports, policy docu-ments, documents relating to international and national legal frameworks, and other reference documents.
Click here for more information from unhcr.org
Forced Migration: Digital Library & Journals re-launched
Forced Migration Online (FMO) provides instant access to a wide variety of online resources dealing with the situation of forced migrants worldwide. Designed for use by practitioners, policy makers, researchers, students or anyone interested in the field, FMO aims to give comprehensive information in an impartial environment and to promote increased awareness of human displacement issues to an international community of users.
Click here for more information from forcedmigration.org