The International Detention Coalition joined many UN agencies and international human rights organisations expressing concern over the European Union returns policies released last week. The renewed action plan and commission recommendation on returns both encourage member states to undertake swift returns, which limit basic safeguards and rights that should be guaranteed to all migrants, and increase the use of immigration detention.
Of particular concern is the fact that the recommendation states that children can be detained as a measure of last resort, when alternatives to immigration detention have been explored. This is in direct contradiction to international law, seconded by child rights experts worldwide, which states that children should never be detained on the basis of their migration status.
The Global Campaign to End Child Detention, which the IDC is a proud supporter of, has made this statement here that explains why it is time to move beyond the last resort language.
Read the whole statement here