Webinar ‘Alternatives to detention in the EU and The Netherlands’: a recap

During the webinar on alternatives to detention of EMN Netherlands on 29 September, speakers from Estonia, Finland, Sweden and the Netherlands discussed policies for detention in international protection and return procedures, as well as alternatives to detention.

The diverse audience of 90 participants consisted of migration practitioners, NGO representatives, government officials and researchers from both The Netherlands and other European countries.

Program

The coordinator of EMN Netherlands, Hans Lemmens, welcomed the speakers and participants and briefly introduced the work of the EMN on this topic. The webinar proceeded with presentations by Marie Bengtsson (EMN Sweden), Lambert Obermann (Dutch Advisory Council on Migration, ACVZ) and Julia Koopmans (EMN Netherlands). The presentations were followed by a panel discussion on alternatives to detention with representatives from the Helsinki Police Department/Finland, the Police and Border Guard/Estonia, Finland and the National Police/Netherlands.

During the webinar, it was concluded that the policies of EU Member States show great similarities, yet also some notable differences. An encompassing EU-wide registration of the use of detention and alternatives to detention would allow for a more informed discussion on the subject.

Report

• Please see the full report: Report webinar alternatives to detention

Presentations

Please see Presentations webinar alternatives to detention (pdf), including the following presentations: 

• EMN Study: Detention and alternatives to detention in international protection and return procedures | Marie Bengtsson, EMN Sweden
• Outcomes of the ACVZ advisory report on migration detention in the Netherlands, including reflection on alternatives to detention | Lambert Obermann, Dutch Advisory Council on Migration (ACVZ)
• Detention and alternatives to detention in The Netherlands | Julia Koopmans, EMN Netherlands