A new report by Human Rights Watch entitled “Two Years with No Moon: Immigration Detention of Children in Thailand” details how Thailand is detaining thousands of refugee and migrant children each year on the basis of their immigration status or that of their parents.
41 migrant children and 64 adults who had been detained, arrested, or otherwise affected by interactions with police and immigration officials were interviewed for the report.
According to Alice Farmer, children’s rights researcher at Human Rights Watch and author of the report, “[m]igrant children detained in Thailand are suffering needlessly in filthy, overcrowded cells without adequate nutrition, education, or exercise space”. The report calls for Thailand to immediately adopt alternatives to detention for children, such as open reception centers and conditional release programs”