8/3/2019 Request to endorse the global campaign to end the immigration detention of children

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Callforsupport:

Globalcampaigntoendtheimmigrationdetentionofchildren

Refugee,asylumseekerandmigrantchildrensimplydonotbelongindetention.Howeverresearchshows

thatchilddetentionisagrowingproblemandamajorprotectiongapworldwide.TheInternational

DetentionCoalition(IDC)willlaunchaglobalcampaigntoendtheimmigrationdetentionofchildrenat

theUNHumanRightsCouncilinMarchthisyearaswellasinanumberofcountries.Weneedyoursupporttobuildandputpressureongovernmentstostartusingchildfriendlyprocedures,orforthose

thatalreadydo,weneedtoaskthemtosharegoodpracticeswithothers.

Thecampaigntoendchilddetentionwillbeopentoanyonesupportingourposition,aslaidoutinapolicy

documentonchilddetentionbasedonresearchinfivecontinentswhereinalmost80formerlydetained

childrenwereinterviewed.Thecentralargumentnottodetainchildren,theirfamiliesandunaccompanied

orseparatedminorsisbasedonthreeprinciples:

1. Undocumentedchildmigrantsare,firstandforemost,children.2. Thebestinterestsofthechildmustbeaprimaryconsiderationinanyactiontakeninrelationto

thechild.

3. Thelibertyofthechildisafundamentalhumanright.

Thiscampaignthenisaboutchildrightsbutequallyabouthumanrightsandrefugeerights.Thiscampaignfocusesspecificallyonchildrendetainedforimmigrationpurposes,includingchildrefugees,asylum

seekersandirregularmigrants,howevertheIDCvisionofalternativestodetentionisfarbroader.Youcan

readmoreaboutwhyandhowimmigrationdetentionshouldonlybeusedasaverylastresortintheIDC

handbookTherearealternatives(www.idcoalition.org/cap).

Wearelookingfororganisationstosupportourcampaigninanumberofways.

TheIDCwillorganizeasideeventattheUNHumanRightsCouncilonthe21 stofMarch2012 to

presentthechildfocusedresearchatapaneldiscussiononchilddetention.Alsoonthatday,theofficialcampaignfilmclipandwebsitewillbelaunchedpubliclyandanumberofcountrieswill

engagemediawithformerlydetainedchildrenorbyothermeans.Letusknowifyoucanhelp.

Wealsoneedhelpwithcollectingmorewrittenorrecordedstories,dataaboutchilddetentionorgoodpracticesinvariouscountries,campaignrepresentativesatregionalandinternationalforums

andmore.

Wearelookingforpartnerswhoarewillingtoendorsethecampaignwiththeirongoingnationalor

internationalworkordirectlyparticipateincampaignactivities.Thealliancewillbebroaderthanjust

IDCmembersandopentoeveryonewhocanadheretoourposition.

Letmeknowwhetheryourorganisationwillendorsethiscriticalcampaign.Ifyes,wewillaskyouseparatelywhetheryouwishyourendorsementtobepublicornot.Non-memberscanfillouttheformat

www.idcoalition.org/children.IDCmemberscanalsosendanemailtotheIDCSecretariatexpressingyour

interest.

Donthesitatetocontactmeformoreinformation.

Kindregards

JeroenVanHove

CampaignCoordinator,InternationalDetentionCoalition(IDC)

C/HubLevel3,673BourkeSt,Melbourne,Vic3000,Australia

Tel:+61399991607,Fax:+61396297213,Email:jvanhove@idcoalition.org

Skype:idc.campaign

Followusontwitter@idcmonitor

www.idcoalition.org/children

8/3/2019 Request to endorse the global campaign to end the immigration detention of children

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IDCChildrensCampaign

BackgroundEveryday,allaroundtheworld,tensofthousandsofchildrenandyoungpeopleareaffectedby

immigrationdetention.

Anunknownnumberofminors,potentiallymanythousands,aredetained.Theseincluderefugeesandasylumseekers,traffickingvictims,andeconomicandenvironmentalmigrants.Theyareincarcerated

indetentioncentres,jails,policecells,andinclosedrefugeecamps,

ofteninsqualidconditions.

Whilesomearereleasedshortly

afterbeingarrested,someare

detainedformonthsorevenyears.

Inmanyplaces,children,even

thosewhoareunaccompanied,are

detainedwithadults.Childrenalso

areaffectedbythedetentionoftheirparentsorguardians,even

whenthechildrenthemselvesarenotdetained.

Whetherdetainedthemselvesorimpactedbythedetentionoftheir

guardians,childrenandyoungpeopleareparticularlyvulnerableto

abuseandneglect.Becausetheyareminors,oftentheyareunableto

advocatefortheirsocial,legalandeconomicrights.

Thedetentionofchildrenoftencontravenesinternationallawsand

conventions.TheConventionontheRightsoftheChildstatesthat

childrenshouldbedetainedonlyasalastresort.AccordingtotheUNHCRs1999RevisedGuidelinesontheDetentionofAsylum

Seekers,childrenwhoareasylum

seekersshouldnotbedetained.

Thegeneralprohibitiononthe

detentionofchildrenisin

recognitionthatdetentioncanhave

significantnegativeimpactsontheir

healthandwell-being.Studieshave

shownthatthedetentionofchildrenunderminestheircognitive,

emotionalandphysicaldevelopment.Inanumberofcountriesgovernmentrecordsconfirmthefindingsofscholarlyresearch,

detailingthatdetainedchildrensufferanxiety,distress,bed-wetting,

suicidalideationandself-destructivebehaviourincludingattempted

andactualself-harm.Otherchildrensufferedfromspecificpsychiatric

illnessessuchasdepressionandPostTraumaticStressDisorder.

Greece

Some police guys took us to asmall prison. There were toomany people there. We wereliving in one big hall. We were

eating together inside thatplace. We were not able togo outside. We walkinginside that place until we getour freedom. It was verydifficult. Because I come froma very bad situation.

- Hassan, 16, detained in Greece.

MalaysiaI got one small bowl of food aday. We were never allowedto go outside. In the night Ihad to give massages tosome of the men.

- Burmese boy, detained in

Malaysia and separated from his

mother

Australia

I felt like I knocked onsomeone's door for help and

instead he locked me up.

- Essan, 17, from Afghanistan

United States

I felt bad because I alwaysfelt as if I was locked up. We

couldnt go outside. I cried alot because it reminded me ofwhen I was locked up in thekidnapping.

- Maria, 17, from Honduras, who

was kidnapped on the Mexican

borderen route to the US

United States

I was really confused andstuff. I was kind of likecos itwas really small. And beingin that space, kind of liketripped something in my mind.Like I felt like an animal. I felt,and I was believing myself

that I was bad. Like I hadsomething that other peoplecould see, but I couldntseeand I started believingthat I deserved to be there.

- Carlos, 16, from Honduras