In the 2018 Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, signatory states agreed to use "migration detention only as a measure of last resort and work towards alternatives." Yet, immigration detention is widely used as a practice in migration management. During detention migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers are severely restricted in their human rights and often live under inhumane conditions. Whereas alternative solutions strengthen their access to rights, are more effective and less costly. In this project the International Detention Coalition (IDC) - which has a network of over 400 organizations and individuals worldwide - advocates for rights-based and community-centered alternatives to detention (ATD) for migrants, asylum seekers and refugees in the Middle East and North Africa. Informal alternatives to detention have long existed in the region, providing better access to rights and international protection, and addressing the persons individual needs. This project aims at contributing to ending the practice of detention by strengthening alternative practices.
