7. Alternatives to immigration detention

The issue of Alternatives to Immigration Detention was featured prominently in the discussions of the first International Migration Review Forum and was identified as one of the priority areas to make the vision of the Global Compact for Migration a reality.

The Progress Declaration underlines that Member States continue to face “practical challenges in ensuring alternatives to detention with full respect for human rights, particularly with regard to providing adequate living conditions and access to gender-responsive and people-centred services for migrants.” (para. 36). On child immigration detention, Member States envisioned to advance the GCM framework by committing to “consider, through appropriate mechanisms, progress and challenges in working to end the practice of child detention in the context of international migration” (para. 57).

i. Consolidate and expand the peer learning and multi-stakeholder community of practice on alternatives to detention at global, regional and country levels, ensuring that all levels of the Network are coordinated and connected with this work.

Timeline: 2022-2024

ii. Organise three (3) targeted peer learning events matching specific countries which face common issues and are interested in learning from each other on alternatives to detention technical aspects:

• one (1) peer learning event focused specifically on child immigration detention,
• one (1) peer learning event focused on alternatives to immigration detention for migrants in transit settings
• one (1)  peer learning event focused on prevention of pre-entry detention of migrants

They will also serve to support regional networks’ engagement. Each of the co-chairs will lead the organization of one (1) of these peer-learning events.

Timeline: 2022-2024

iii. To support submissions on alternatives to detention under the Migration MPTF.

Timeline: 2022-2024

iv. Support the development of a GCM indicator on ATD in relation to para. 70 of the Progress Declaration in close cooperation with the Workstream on Indicators.

v. Liaise with the Migration Hub ti reflect the practices on ATD collected through past and future activities related to the implementation of objective 13.

vi. Explore connections with the capacity building and training activities of Core WGs.

Timeline 2022-2024