A number of UN statements to governments have been released recently which outline the impact of detention and the need for alternatives, including reference to IDC research.
Excerpt: Detention of refugees and asylum-seekers remained a concern….To address unjustified detention, UNHCR advocates strongly for the use of effective alternatives to detention. A global survey of alternatives to detention in use in a number of States, conducted by the International Detention Coalition, concluded that the use of such alternatives, especially for vulnerable people and children, has shown positive results.
Excerpt: State authorities seeking to uphold the principle of family unity in situations of irregular migration should seek to address the situation of parents and families in ways that do not contemplate the detention of migrant children. The principle to be applied in such circumstances should be “care” rather than a punitive or disciplinary approach, and adequate alternatives to detention.