Administrative detention of asylum seekers and irregular migrants is a growing phenomenon not only in Europe, but worldwide.

• International law provides for some basic rights, but often those rights are not transposed into national legislation, so that detainees may not legally claim those rights.
• International guidelines are not binding by nature, but they reflect basic standards rooted in legal ethics.
• An "International Detention Coalition" follows the developments at a global level.

 2006 UNHCR Research Series: Alternatives to detention of asylum seekers and refugees - By Ophelia Field and Alice Edwards (1.41 MB)

 2004 APT Guide for NGOs: Monitoring places of detention (1.61 MB)