International Coalition on the Detention of Refugees, Asylum-Seekers and Migrants

Update: In June 2008, the IDC decided to base its operations in Australia. Grant Mitchell will serve as the Acting Director of the IDC until it is formally incorporated as an organisation in Melbourne Australia. The IDC will be based in the Regional Protection Centre.  

Background: Concerned about the increasing practice of detention of refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants by governments, a group of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) from across the globe came together in a series of three meetings in 2004 and 2005 in Geneva, Switzerland, to start building an international coalition aimed at protecting the human rights of detainees. At these meetings, it was decided to first identify and reach out to other NGOs that are working on migration-related detention in order to gather more information on organisations working on detention issues in each region and how an international coalition might strengthen human rights protections. 

In 2007, the IDC has launched an international campaign on Children in Detention. NGOs in Australia have been providing advice on children in detention advocacy. 

IDC Papers and Documents:

1. IDC Membership Application
2. IDC Strategy Document
3. List of Participants (Oct 2005 IDC meeting)
4. Summary of Responses to 2005 Questionaire
5. Minutes - IDC Meeting, Sept 2005
6. Founding Organisations - October 2004

Australian/New Zealand Regional Contact:

James D. Thomson (also on the IDC Steering Committee)
Director of Policy and Advocacy
Christian World Service
National Council of Churches in Australia
Locked Bag 199, Sydney 1230
Tel: 9299 2215, Fax: 9262 4514
Email: jthomson@ncca.org.au
Web: www.ncca.org.au/cws/rdp