During the COVID-19 pandemic, Terre des hommes is calling on States to release all children from immigration detention and accelerate the release of children deprived of liberty in criminal justice or protection facilities. Urgent attention should be given to the implementation of non-custodial measures to ensure children's safe reintegration into families and communities. In rare cases where children cannot be released, States should implement measures to safeguard children’s health.
In this framework Terre des hommes Albania called on the Ministry of Justice on March 31st to release 18 juveniles in custody following the situation created by Covid 19 and hygienic conditions and support for those who cannot be released. A statement was released to the media, stating that there are 18 juveniles in custody, demanding that the category of alternative measures be speeded up.
Tdh calls for the Ministry of Justice and its depending instituions to "accelerate the application of alternative measures to all juveniles in detention" and that "In detention conditions, the latest recommendations from the World Health Organization, such as frequent hand washing, sanitation of common areas and social distances, are impossible to implement, therefore it asks for the Ministry to take urgent measures to address these issues.
Tdh also calls for friendlier juvenile quarantine measures. "Child-friendly quarantine measures that respect human rights and children's rights, such as video counseling, communication with families, access to health services and information, should be provided," the statement said.