Updated guidelines on detaining asylum-seekers

UNHCR has updated its guidelines on the detention of asylum-seekers. According to a spokesman for the agency, UNHCR regretted the fact that, too often, asylum-seekers were held in prison, sometimes with common criminals. Detention of asylum-seekers should only take place in exceptional circumstances, such as for reasons of public safety or to ascertain identity, UNHCR said. Furthermore, detention must be prescribed by national law and conform to international standards. Children should not be placed in detention and particular attention should be paid to the vulnerable (torture and trauma victims, the sick, unaccompanied elderly), women and stateless people. Where control of the residency of asylum-seekers is considered necessary, UNHCR urges states to examine alternatives to detention, such as a requirement to report regularly to the authorities or to live in a designated, but “open” reception centre, to ensure an adequate level of freedom of movement.