Art is one of the most powerful ways to communicate the human experience. It connects us beyond language, politics and borders. And, in the context of immigration detention, it restores what policy too often erases: the humanity behind the headlines.
This International Migrants Day, IDC and FES are proud to showcase a selection of six artists whose work speaks to the realities of immigration detention and the power of alternatives. Drawn from across IDC’s archives, these pieces come from different IDC projects and collaborations — including collaboration with Amnesty International Malaysia and the Global Campaign to End Child Detention — and reflect diverse interpretations of migration, confinement and freedom.
Many of the artworks are accompanied by stories from people with lived experience of detention and community-based alternatives. These stories reveal not only the hardship of detention, but also the resilience and hope that persist in the face of injustice.
At IDC, we believe that art can challenge perceptions, inspire empathy and ignite change. These works remind us that ending immigration detention is not only about policy reform, but about building understanding and solidarity.
Ending detention requires all of us – allies, communities, governments and civil society – to work together towards dignity and freedom.
We invite you to experience these images and stories, share them and join the movement to make immigration detention history.
The stories behind the art
Some of these inspiring artworks are inspired by the personal stories of people with lived experience of detention. You can read some of those stories below, and you’ll find more testimonies of immigration detention and alternative programmes on IDC’s website.
Carlos’ Story – Artwork by Nani Puspasari
‘I decided to come [to the US] because I felt that there weren’t any other good options. After Hurricane Mitch destroyed most of the town where I am and work was really hard to get, it was really difficult times for my family and myself. So I decided to come here.’ – Carlos
Carlos grew up in a poor family in a poor village in Honduras. In 1998, when he was barely a teenager, Hurricane Mitch struck the country. It was the deadliest Atlantic hurricane in more than two centuries and caused widespread devastation. Thousands of people were killed and the economic damage was huge. Wind, rain, flooding and landslides, made worse by the country’s slash and burn forestry practices, left Honduras’s infrastructure almost entirely destroyed, according to the US Department of Commerce’s National Climate Data Centre. Up to 20 per cent of the population lost their homes. Agriculture collapsed. Communities faced hunger, and there were outbreaks of malaria, dengue fever and cholera. The long-term impact was severe; the Honduran President stated that the hurricane wiped out fifty years of progress.
In the years after the hurricane, life in Carlos’ town had become untenable. Most local livelihoods had collapsed, his family was under severe strain and he couldn’t see a realistic way forward if he stayed. When he was 16, Carlos decided that leaving for the United States offered his best chance for the future.
Yusuf’s Story – Artwork by Filippa Edghill
‘The war is compelling us to leave the country, to leave the people who we never wish to leave in our whole lives. And we have already faced a lot of things, so cruel, so bad things.’ – Yusuf
Yusuf was 16 when he fled his village in Darfur, Sudan. Armed groups had attacked his community, killing many and destroying homes. During the attack, many in his family were assaulted and killed. Yusuf and the remaining villagers buried the dead and fled.
He escaped with his mother and sisters to a refugee camp just across the border in Chad. But the camp was unsafe. Armed groups would enter at night, shooting and kidnapping people. The guides who helped them reach the camp warned that young boys were especially at risk and advised them to leave.
Yusuf left the camp with four boys from his village. They travelled by car for several days before parting ways. A Libyan animal trader agreed to take Yusuf to Tripoli in exchange for helping to care for sheep along the journey, which took two weeks.
From here, he boarded a small boat with 11 others, heading for Italy. The journey quickly became perilous. After six days at sea, they had run out of food, water, and fuel. Surrounded by darkness and open water, Yusuf and the others prayed for rescue.
After nearly a week adrift, a coastguard vessel finally found them. After surviving this ordeal, Yusuf was taken to immigration detention in Malta.
JP’s Story – Artwork by Monann De Jong
JP was 10 when she was detained in the United Kingdom. She had arrived from Africa with her mother at the age of four, after fleeing domestic violence.
In the UK, JP thrived. She was a bright and popular student, known for her ability and curiosity. But years later, their lives were upended when immigration officers carried out a dawn raid at their home. JP and her mother were taken to Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre.
In detention, JP witnessed violence against her mother and other detainees. Two attempts were made to deport her and her mother, but they were halted because of the extreme distress JP was experiencing.
JP was then released and lived with a relative, while her mother was detained again. A psychotherapist assessed JP and found she was suffering from post-traumatic stress, warning that another period in detention could cause a serious deterioration in her mental health.
Despite this, JP was detained again, and within days she attempted to end her life. She was later assessed as suffering from depression, anxiety and PTSD. Experts found that the trauma she had experienced had deeply affected her development and sense of self.
JP’s case exposes the profound and lasting harm that immigration detention inflicts on children and the failure of systems meant to protect them.