Declarations to End Child Immigration Detention
On December 3rd 2014, the governments of Latin America and the Caribbean adopted declarations that called for the elimination of immigration detention of children and proposed advancements in alternatives to detention.
The adoption of the Brazil Declaration and Plan of Action not only commemorated the +30 Cartagena Anniversary, but also makes a commitment to end the immigration detention of children and proposes rules for the development of alternatives to detention.
It recognises the changing reality of the region, where people are forced to flee to seek protection. The region faces over 6 million internally displaced refugees, asylum-seekers and stateless people, and has recently been dealing with thousands of unaccompanied children seeking the safety of Central America and beyond.
States also committed to eradicate statelessness by 2024, becoming the first region to respond to UNHCR’s global call. States recalled that every person has the right to a nationality and that statelessness is a violation of human rights. UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres praised the commitments States made in Brazil, describing them as “courageous, generous and visionary”.
