Allt fler länder frihetsberövar asylsökande

UNHCR uppmanar världens länder att sluta internera asylsökanden. Som ett stöd i detta arbete har organisationen gett ut en rapport (Alice Edwards, Back to Basics: The Right to Liberty and Security of Person and ‘Alternatives to Detention’ of Refugees, Asylum-Seekers, Stateless Persons and Other Migrants) som kartlägger internationella konventioner för asylmottagning och pekar på alternativa tillvägagångssätt.

Immigration detention – as opposed to criminal or security detention – refers to the detention of refugees, asylum-seekers, migrants and stateless people, upon entering a territory or pending their return. Typical examples include prisons or purpose-built closed reception or holding centres.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that everyone has the right to liberty and to protection from arbitrary detention. Article 31 of the UN Refugee Convention specifies that states should not impose penalties or unnecessary restrictions on movements of refugees entering their territory without authorization.

"It is not a crime to seek asylum. Detention must therefore be a last resort, and its necessity and proportionality must be assessed on an individual basis," said Alice Edwards, a senior legal coordinator for UNHCR. "The failure of many governments to provide for or systematize alternatives to detention can put their detention policies and practices into direct conflict with international law."

Situationen för asylsökande har varit särskilt omskriven i Australien där asylsökande interneras på öar och andra isolerade områden. Självmord, mordbränder och upplopp har varit vanligt förekommande.

Läs också UNHCR:s granskning av hur EU:s asylmottagningsdirektiv implementeras i medlemsstaterna: Improving Asylum Procedures: Comparative Analysis and Recommendations for Law and Practice. Key Findings and Recommendations.