Conference on Immigration Detention in Europe

Due to the ratification of the OPCAT and in its function as the National Preventive Mechanism since 1 July 2012, the Austrian Ombudsman Board (AOB) attended a conference on immigration detention in Europe. The conference, held on 21-22 November 2013 in Strasbourg, was organised by the Council of Europe in co-operation with the national preventive mechanism of the United Kingdom in order to establish common concerns and to develop minimum standards on the basis of a comprehensive exchange of experience and best practice.

Experts of the Council of Europe, the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT), the Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT), the UN-subcommittee for the Prevention of Torture (SPT) as well as members of European countries’ national preventive mechanisms attended the conference.

At the beginning of the conference, the participants stressed the importance of close cooperation and networking among the respective national preventive mechanisms. In particular, they addressed the question which of the standards and monitoring techniques should become a European standard. The participants agreed that with regard to the treatment of migrants, special attention would have to be given to the underlying reasons for migration. The persons affected had often been confronted with disastrous living conditions in their countries of origin.

The participants came to the conclusion that the work of the preventive mechanisms would have to focus on the establishment of common standards regarding the proceedings as well as treatment of those affected. Members of the national preventive mechanisms of Switzerland, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Greece provided an insight into their experiences.

The participants considered basic medical care, access to legal advice, the opportunity to contact the outside world, alternatives to the detention in prisons as well as protection of the most vulnerable groups such as women and children to be the most essential protection instruments. The Council of Europe Migration co-ordination Division and the United Kingdom’s preventive mechanism drafted a document containing already existing regulations as well as the ideas expressed by the participants in the course of the conference. This draft will be presented to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

For further information regarding the Council’s workshop please consult:

http://www.assembly.coe.int/nw/xml/News/News-View-EN.asp?newsid=4771&lang=2&cat=134