Rights-Based Migration Without Immigration Detention

Over the last decade, governments increased their use of immigration detention in response to growing rates of migration. Further, the 2020 impacts of Covid-19 brought worldwide systemic shock to governments, civil society, and the human experience. At the time of writing, IDC members shared concerns about duress on economic, healthcare, housing and judiciary bodies, leading to poverty, homelessness, illness, food shortages, lack of documentation and heightened risk of detention.

In the coming months and years, the actions of global entities, governments and civil society will set a course for the post-pandemic world to either return to expanding detention, or commit to protecting rights and dignity in the migration experience. Over the next two years, we will support members, partners and governments to recover, rebuild, and re-envision rights-based migration systems without immigration detention.