3
Table of Contents
Acronyms ...................................................................................................................................................... 4
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 5
1. Who is detained? ....................................................................................................................................... 7
2. What is the detention system? .................................................................................................................11
3. What legal frameworks govern detention? ............................................................................................ 14
4. How do politics shape detention? ........................................................................................................... 19
5. How long are migrants detained? .......................................................................................................... 23
6. What are the conditions for migrants in detention?............................................................................. 25
7. What is “de facto” detention? ................................................................................................................ 30
8. How do migrants challenge detention? ................................................................................................. 35
9. What alternative approaches exist to replace detention? .................................................................... 38
Conclusion .................................................................................................................................................. 40
Immigration Detention Across Borders
Detention of Asylum Seekers in the United States and the European Union