At its meeting in Paris on 23 March, the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons appointed Doris Fiala (Switzerland, ALDE) as General rapporteur on Ending Immigration Detention of Children Campaign.
The General rapporteur will contribute to raising awareness in Council of Europe member states on the need to end immigration detention of children and to adopt alternatives to detention that fulfil the best interests of the child and allow children to remain with their family members and/or guardians in non-custodial, community-based contexts while their immigration status is being resolved, according to PACE.
The Committee agreed that the launching event of the Campaign at the Parliamentary Assembly will take place most probably on Monday 20 April, during the Spring Session 2015. The President of the Assembly, the World Campaign Coordinator and the General rapporteur on Ending Immigration Detention of Children Campaign will participate in the launching ceremony.
In January 2015, the Committee decided to join the Global Campaign to End Immigration Detention of Children by sending a letter of support to Leeanne Torpey, Campaign Coordinator.
The Global Campaign to End Immigration Detention of Children was launched during the 19th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in 2012, to draw attention to the many detrimental effects that immigration detention has on children, and to encourage states to cease the immigration detention of children consistent with their Convention on the Rights of the Children obligations.
Source: The Financial
