There Are Alternatives: A Handbook for Preventing Immigration Detention

With human migration reaching unprecedented levels, many States are struggling to respond to new refugee, asylum-seeker and migrant arrivals.

Current contexts highlight the need for alternative approaches that respect fundamental right to liberty, security, and human dignity, while still ensuring that States can responsibly govern their borders.

Over the past five years, the IDC has undertaken a program of research to identify and describe a number of positive alternatives to immigration detention (‘alternatives’) that respect fundamental rights, are less expensive and are equally or more effective than traditional border controls. The IDC has identified over 250 examples of alternatives from 60 countries.

This research, entitled There are alternatives, provides readers with the guidance needed to successfully avoid unnecessary detention and to ensure community options are as effective as possible.

The research was launched during the 30th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva co-hosted by the Office of the High Commission for Human Rights and the the Permanent Mission of Sweden.