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Welcome to the EuroPris Knowledge Management System. The table below shows questions and responses from European National Agencies. Select a question for more information or use the filters on the left to narrow down questions based on Agency or Category.
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Introduction: In the Netherlands, foreign nationals with no legal residence, who have exhausted all legal options and who do not wish to cooperate in repatriation aimed at their departure (immigration detainees), are held in closed immigration detention centres. These centres are currently located in prison facilities, where the immigration detainees do not meet and interact with inmates who are suspected of or convicted for a criminal offence. The Netherlands is currently investigating the possibilities and risks of expanding access to the internet (including online communication) and mobile phone use within these centres. We wish to have a greater understanding of what policies or practices are in place regarding this matter in other countries.
Immigrants who are in an irregular administrative situation and are not eligible to a residence permit nor asylum, can be placed in a closed immigration detention centre. These institutions are however responsibility of the Spanish central state administration, therefore neither the Government of Catalonia nor any other autonomous community have no information on how these aspects are managed.
Do immigration detainees have access to the internet in these detention centres? Is the access to internet restricted in any way. If so, what are the restrictions? Do immigration detainees have access to e-mail and/or other social media? Do immigration detainees have the possibility to use a mobile phone? Are restrictions imposed on the use of mobile phones? If so, which restrictions? What risks can you see or have you experienced when using the internet (including social media) and/or mobile phones. How are these risks mitigated?Yes, we have, but they do not belong to the Spanish Prison Service and their management is out of the penitentiary system.
Do immigration detainees have access to the internet in these detention centres? Is the access to internet restricted in any way. If so, what are the restrictions? Do immigration detainees have access to e-mail and/or other social media? Do immigration detainees have the possibility to use a mobile phone? Are restrictions imposed on the use of mobile phones? If so, which restrictions? What risks can you see or have you experienced when using the internet (including social media) and/or mobile phones. How are these risks mitigated?This content is only available to registered members of EuroPris.
According to Section 3 of Immigration Law, the entry and stay of foreigners in the Republic of Latvia shall be documented and controlled by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs, State Border Guard, diplomatic and consular representations of the Republic of Latvia and the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in accordance with their competence.
Do immigration detainees have access to the internet in these detention centres?N/A
Is the access to internet restricted in any way. If so, what are the restrictions?N/A
Do immigration detainees have access to e-mail and/or other social media?N/A
Do immigration detainees have the possibility to use a mobile phone?N/A
Are restrictions imposed on the use of mobile phones? If so, which restrictions?N/A
What risks can you see or have you experienced when using the internet (including social media) and/or mobile phones. How are these risks mitigated?N/A
Yes
Do immigration detainees have access to the internet in these detention centres?Yes
Is the access to internet restricted in any way. If so, what are the restrictions?Yes. Some specific sites are blocked. A limited number of websites is already blocked by the server or the firewall of the Ministry of Interior. Next to that, the IT service of every detention centre can configure manually every computer dedicated to internet access for the immigration detainees. It concerns amongst others porn sites, violence content sites, commercial sites (e.g. bol.com, zalando, …), extremist en jihadist sites, racist sites (or which contains racist ideas), weapons sites, … Further more, the do’s and don’ts of the use of internet are mentioned in the house rules for the residents in the detention centers (e.g. no forbidden downloads, illegal activities on internet, online bying, …). The security staff present in the internet room will also monitor (dynamic control from a certain distance) the internet use of the residents.
Do immigration detainees have access to e-mail and/or other social media?Yes (but without use of the camera on the computer).
Do immigration detainees have the possibility to use a mobile phone?Yes.
Are restrictions imposed on the use of mobile phones? If so, which restrictions?Immigration detainees can use their own mobile phones provide that they have no active filming, photograph or internet functions. Since most mobil phones have such functions now, we foresee basic cell phones which can be used by the residents in the detention centers in which they can put their SIM card and there is the possibility to give them a print out of their contact list from the memory of their own cell phone.
What risks can you see or have you experienced when using the internet (including social media) and/or mobile phones. How are these risks mitigated?There are of course always some risks which cannot be excluded, due to the fact that the residents have a certain liberty of communication. Some security risks may hamper the internal order or good functioning of the detention centers. E.g. contacts between residents in different detention centers at time of incidents, external parties (visitors) who try to smuggle forbidden objects in the detention centers upon request of the residents, the unnecessary calls to first aid or police services, …
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In Lithuania, the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Lithuania is charged with the oversight of border protection and migration control (closed immigration detention centres included). The Prison Service has no immigration detention centres related information.
Do immigration detainees have access to the internet in these detention centres? Is the access to internet restricted in any way. If so, what are the restrictions? Do immigration detainees have access to e-mail and/or other social media? Do immigration detainees have the possibility to use a mobile phone? Are restrictions imposed on the use of mobile phones? If so, which restrictions? What risks can you see or have you experienced when using the internet (including social media) and/or mobile phones. How are these risks mitigated?The Slovak prison service does not ensure the administration of closed immigration detention centres. Migration issues fall within the competence of the Interior Ministry of the Slovak Republic (FYI: Slovak prison service is under the Justice Ministry). At the same time, foreign nationals without legal residence who have exhausted all legal possibilities and who do not wish to cooperate in repatriation aimed at their departure (immigration detainees) are not placed in prison facilities, respectively they do only in case they have committed a crime and have been ordered to serve pre-trial detention or prison sentence by a court decision.
Do immigration detainees have access to the internet in these detention centres?-
Is the access to internet restricted in any way. If so, what are the restrictions?-
Do immigration detainees have access to e-mail and/or other social media?-
Do immigration detainees have the possibility to use a mobile phone?-
Are restrictions imposed on the use of mobile phones? If so, which restrictions?-
What risks can you see or have you experienced when using the internet (including social media) and/or mobile phones. How are these risks mitigated?-
The Home Office will always help individuals with no lawful basis of stay who wish to leave voluntarily but will enforce the removal of those who refuse. Detention plays a key role in maintaining effective immigration controls and securing the UK’s borders, particularly in connection with the removal of people who have no right to remain in the UK but who refuse to leave voluntarily. The Home Office currently operates seven immigration removal centres (IRCs) throughout the UK, (six in England and one in Scotland) and four residential short-term holding facilities (STHF) (one in Northern Ireland and three in England) operated under private contract. Additionally, the Home Office operates one pre-departure accommodation for families at Gatwick. These facilities provide safe, secure accommodation for immigration offenders and time-served foreign national offenders detained under immigration powers, where it is appropriate and lawful to do so, and necessary to secure their removal. The rights of all detained individuals are safeguarded by a multi-layered framework of the Detention Centre Rules 2001, Short-Term Holding Facility Rules 2018, published Operating Standards for immigration removal centres (IRCs) and individuals under escort and a suite of Detention Services Orders (DSOs). DSOs are published guidance documents available on gov.uk. These documents contain operational instructions outlining procedures to be followed by Home Office staff and staff working on behalf of the Home Office, providing guidance on the management of specific issues within the removal estate. DSOs ensure that operational activity adheres to the DC Rules, STHF Rules where appropriate and the Operating Standards for IRCs. All people in IRCs are provided with a mobile phone and have access to landline telephones on request, fax machines, email and video calling facilities which can be used to contact legal representatives, family, or friends.
Do immigration detainees have access to the internet in these detention centres?It is a contractual requirement for all Home Office suppliers operating IRCs to provide detained individuals with reasonable and regulated access to the internet whilst ensuring that the security of the immigration removal estate is not undermined. The published Detention Services Order (DSO) 04/2016 ‘Detainee Access to the Internet’ is the Home Office guidance on provision of regulated internet access for detained individuals. Accessible websites include published Home Office rules and guidance; court and tribunal proceedings and judgements; and information about access to legal representation and legal reference websites. This provision enables people in detention to remain in contact with family, friends and legal representatives, and to prepare for removal
Is the access to internet restricted in any way. If so, what are the restrictions?The published Detention Services Order (DSO) 04/2016 ‘Detainee Access to the Internet’ is the Home Office guidance on provision of regulated internet access for detained individuals. This DSO sets out categories of prohibited websites, requirements for audit and monitoring and guidance on the suspension of internet access for a detained individual, where this is deemed appropriate for safety or security reasons. Any suspension of internet access is reviewed on a weekly basis. Where internet access for an individual has been suspended, limited supervised internet access to view materials related to the individual’s immigration case may be granted on a case-by-case basis. Prohibited website categories include social networking, dating and gambling sites, in addition to terrorist or extremist materials, racist materials or other crime related sites. Where there is a serious incident (such as attempts to access extremist material) appropriate security referrals are made.
Do immigration detainees have access to e-mail and/or other social media?Access to any personal internet based email accounts are also provided to detained individuals, subject to them signing up to the centre’s acceptable use policy for internet use, in line with DSO 04/2016, ‘Detainee Access to the Internet’.
Do immigration detainees have the possibility to use a mobile phone?The published DSO 05/2012 ‘Mobile phones, internet enabled devices, and cameras’ sets out the Home Office policy on detained individuals’ possession of mobile phones in IRCs. In line with the DSO 05/2012, the Home Office is required to provide a mobile phone to all individuals arriving at an IRC. Detained individuals can also retain their own mobile phone providing it is not equipped with recording facilities, or internet capability, this may be subject to further restrictions, as set out in DSO 05/2018. The provision of a mobile phone may be denied in circumstances in which a risk assessment concludes that the individual’s behaviour provides reasonable grounds to believe that they will misuse the phone; there are specific risks to the public; and/or where there reasonable grounds to believe that they will use the mobile phone to cause harm to themselves or another person.
Are restrictions imposed on the use of mobile phones? If so, which restrictions?Please see response to question 5.
What risks can you see or have you experienced when using the internet (including social media) and/or mobile phones. How are these risks mitigated?Please see responses to questions 3 and 5.
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