The IDC Africa team launched its latest publication at a side event of the 62nd Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, held in Nouakchott, Mauritania.  There Are Alternatives: Africa provides evidence that there is rights-based migration governance is being utilised across Africa already, with potential for significant up-scaling in the current context.

The publication includes case studies from 32 African States. These include laws, policies and practices that allow migrants to live in the community with freedom of movement while their immigration status is being resolved or while they are awaiting removal from the host country.

The launch of the research was joined by IDC members from the Refugee Consortium of Kenya (RCK) and Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR), also of South Africa.

 

 

Commissioner Maya Sahli-Fadel, Special Rapporteur on Refugees, Asylum Seekers, Migrants, IDPs, and Stateless Persons, spoke on behalf of the report to further the rights of refugees and migrants together by adopting alternative means to detention. Read her guide for policy makers, an introduction piece for handbook. The French translation is available, here.

The presentations made during the launch of the research centred on the protection of migrants and identifying opportunities for shared regional approaches that assist in reducing the need for unnecessary immigration detention.

 

In highlighting positive examples of domestic and regional law, policy and practice, Governments can provide effective & humane migration governance systems that respect rights.

 

The case studies detailed in this report include a range of alternatives implemented by civil society, governments or a combination of both. Collaborations have been shown to be particularly effective at resulting in positive outcomes for migration governance and migrants. The case studies were gathered by IDC staff between January 2017 and January 2018. More than 25 Member organisations and 50 government representatives were engaged in multiple sessions, and follow up programming work has taken place since in Malawi, Zambia and South Africa.

 

IDC Regional Advisor, the Refugee Consortium of Kenya, Koome Fredrick Imaana, sharing positive practice from Kenya

 

This recent handbook builds on the work published in Alternatives to Immigration Detention in Africa, 2015-2016. This research details legislation, policies and practices related to immigration detention in six countries: Egypt, Kenya, Libya, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia. It complements There are alternatives – a handbook to prevent unnecessary immigration detention.

Read the latest revised report here!

 

 

For more information, email [email protected]