30th November 2005
A research report by Mark Kelly of Human Rights Consultants for the Irish Refugee Council, the Irish Penal Reform Trust and the Immigrant Council of Ireland. This independent report examines current legislation, policy and practice in Ireland and benchmarks this against international human rights standards.
The findings of the report serve to confirm that prisons are, by definition, inappropriate places in which to hold immigration detainees. It recommends that the practice of holding immigration detainees in prisons in Ireland be brought to an end. In those cases where it is deemed necessary to deprive persons of their liberty for an extended period under immigration legislation, the report stresses that they should be accommodated in centres specifically designed for that purpose, offering material conditions and a regime appropriate to their legal situation and staffed by suitably qualified personnel.
Respect for rights in the penal system with prison as a last resort.