Briefing Paper on European pre-removal detention centers during the COVID-19 pandemic

This briefing paper draws on a report on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on European pre-removal detention centres, drafted by students of the “CPR research group”, which is one of the teams of the legal clinic in Turin devoted to human rights and migrations (Human Rights Migration Law Clinic – HRMLC), a joint program in collaboration between the University of Turin, the Eastern Piedmont University and the International University College of Turin, together with the Italian association ASGI (Association for Legal studies on Migration). All sources of information gathered can be found in the full report.

The purpose is to provide an overview of the situation for third-country nationals held during March until May 2020 in European pre-removal centres and developments that have occurred in this field in light of COVID-19. The focus has been on six country studies, namely the Czech Republic, Italy, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. In this briefing paper, each country section highlights any relevant developments that have taken place since the outbreak of the pandemic, such as the release of detainees, the usage of alternative measures and the situation for those continuously confined in detention centres.