Making Alternatives to Detention in Europe a Reality by Exchanges, Advocacy and Learning
Lasting 18 months (September 2013 to February 2015), and co-funded by the European Union, the MADE REAL project brings together NGOs and academics from various EU countries (Austria, Belgium, Lithuania, Slovenia, Sweden, UK, Bulgaria, France, Greece, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands and Slovakia) the project is led by the ‘Odysseus Network – Academic network for legal studies on immigration and asylum in Europe’.
The project’s objectives are to address the knowledge and implementation gap concerning alternatives to detention for asylum seekers in the EU, paying particular attention to vulnerable asylum seekers, to assist Member States in the transposition of the recast Reception Conditions Directive and to enhance the use of alternatives to detention complying with EU and international legal standards. This is being achieved by:
- Research carried out in Austria, Belgium, Lithuania, Slovenia, Sweden and UK on the national legal framework and practices with regards to alternatives to detention. (Nov 2013-Jan 2014)
- Drafting of a synthesis report of the research and a European training module on that topic. (Jan-June 2014)
- 2 one-day trainings in Bulgaria, France, Greece, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands and Slovakia, using the adapted national version of the training module developed. (July-December 2014)
- Range of advocacy & communication activities at a national and EU level.
- Final conference presenting the results of the project (Feb 2015).
Our participation in the project is through our Director Neil Falzon, as the Odysseus Network’s Malta academic member. Together with JRS Malta 2 training events will be organised focusing on introducing detention alternatives in Malta’s law and practice.
The project’s Final Report was launched in Brussels on 6th February 2015, available here.
