In June 2010, JRS-Europe published a new report entitled, "Becoming Vulnerable in Detention".  This report comes after 18-months of research with NGOs in 23 EU Member States, and was part of a project that was co-financed by the European Commission under the "European Refugee Fund". 

"Becoming Vulnerable in Detention" is based on interviews with 685 detained asylum seekers and irregular migrants in 21 EU Member States.  It reveals that detention itself is a primary determinant factor that influences detainees' level of vulnerability.  Detention is shown to be a measure that brings more harm, rather than benefit, to the persons who are subject to it. 

Despite the variance in detention conditions found throughout the EU Member States, the 400-page report shows that the effects detention has on people is startingly similar: depression, anxiety, weight loss, insomnia, isolation from loved ones and disruption of life plans. 

The final report and executive summary is available for download:

Becoming Vulnerable in Detention - Executive Summary (667.63 KB)

Becoming Vulnerable in Detention - Full Report (3.99 MB) -- now including the national report of Poland.



A public conference was held in Brussels on 8th June 2010 to disseminate the results of the report.  Attended by 100 people representing EU institutions, local Belgian NGOs, universities and research foundations, European and International NGOs, UNHCR and the Red Cross, the conference revealed a level of validity in the report's findings and wide-spread support for the recommendations it makes. 

Read about the report in a recent news article published by the Inter-Press Service.

More information about the report's findings, including a summary of the public conference, will be posted onto this webpage within the next weeks.



To learn more about the research methodology and project partners, go to:
www.jrseurope.org/DEVAS/intro.htm









Last updated: 16/07/2010