The current refugee crisis and the necessity to manage and reduce the flows into the EU has generated a range of EU policy, legislative and operational responses. The implementation of new approaches in an emergency context, like the establishment of “hotspots” and the EU-Turkey agreement, have both raised concerns about the use of detention as a means of registering, relocating or returning people. The EU-Turkey agreement has sparked significant protests from human rights organisations, including the UNHCR and NGOs, for turning reception facilities into detention centres in Greece. In the light of this, it is vital to recall EU and member states’ commitments to use less coercive immigration practices before detention is applied both for asylum seekers and migrants.At this policy dialogue, speakers will discuss the alternatives to detention in the EU, particularly in the framework of the current asylum and migration legal framework.
Time: 12:30 – 14:45