Addressing the health challenges in immigration detention, and alternatives to

The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of WHO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. [...] The arrival of large numbers of refugees and migrants to Europe as a result of mixed migration flows during 2015 and 2016 may have contributed to an increase in the number of detained migrants and asylum seekers, which according to the Global Detention 2 Addressing the health challenges in immigration detention, and alternatives to detention: a country implementation guide Project and other source. [...] Being in ID, deprived of liberty by the State, also creates an additional vulnerability for refugees and migrants and places a duty of care upon the State, which should address the health concerns of refugees and migrants in ID as part of the universal right to health (15). [...] 1.3 The importance of discussing ID and ATD Despite the existence of ATD (27,79), countries continue to use ID, and both the numbers of migrants in ID and the capacity of ID facilities has increased in many instances (41,43– 45,51,53,54). [...] The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in ID Risk factors and prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infections in ID The often crowded and unhygienic conditions found in ID have become of special concern during the COVID-19 pandemic because migrants in ID were seen to be at high risk, and quarantine was used as a precautionary measure (185–187).