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New Council of Europe resolution on the detention of migrants in Europe |
1 February 2010 -- The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted a resolution on the detention of asylum seekers and irregular migrants in Europe. The resolution, adopted on 28 January, states in no unclear terms that detention results from political decisions that represent a "hardening attitude towards irregular migrants and asylum seekers".
The resolution goes on to criticise the overpopulation of detention centres, and the deterioration of conditions and safeguards for asylum seekers and irregular migrants alike. The resolution states that the "conditions and safeguards afforded to immigration detainees who have committed no crime are often worse than those of criminal detainees." Elsewhere, the resolution criticises the European Union's adoption of the so-called Returns Directive, for adopting the "lowest common standard in regard to detention length."
The centerpiece of the resolution is its adoption of "10 Guiding Principles Governing the Circumstances in which the Detention of Asylum Seekers and Irregular Migrants may be legally permissible", and "15 European Rules Governing Minimum Standards of Conditions".
Finally the resolution instructs the Parliamentary Assembly to construct a committee to evaluation the proposed rules, and to further explore alternatives to detention in Europe.
Mrs. Ana Catarina Mendonça (Portugal, Socialist Group) was the rapporteur for this resolution. Her report comes after almost two years of in-depth research and wide consultation with organisations such as the Jesuit Refugee Service and the International Detention Coalition.
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