PLEASE TAKE ME TO A SAFE PLACE THE IMPRISONMENT OF ASYLUM SEEKERS IN AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND Amnesty International is a movement of 10 million people CONTENTS which mobilises the humanity in everyone and campaigns for change so we can all enjoy our human rights. Our vision is of a world where those in power keep their promises, respect international law and are held to account. We EXECUTIVE SUMMARY & RECOMMENDATIONS 04 are independent of any government, political ideology, METHODOLOGY 08 ASYLUM SEEKERS, DETENTION AND HUMAN RIGHTS 10 economic interest or religion and are funded mainly by The right to seek asylum 10 The right to liberty and security of the person 11 our membership and individual donations. We believe that Rights in detention 12 Detention of asylum seekers in criminal justice facilities 12 acting in solidarity and compassion with people everywhere The imprisonment of asylum seekers in Aotearoa New Zealand 13 THE CONVEYER BELT TO PRISON 14 can change our societies for the better. “The wild west” - arrival at the border 16 Searches at the border 16 Detention at a Police Station 20 “Rubber stamping” - The District Court 22 BEHIND BARS: THE PRISON EXPERIENCE 24 Excessive periods in prison 24 We want to be recognised as human beings” – rights in prison 26 Mental and physical health 27 Specific needs of people seeking asylum 28 Imprisoning trauma survivors 28 Passing the buck: Immigration New Zealand vs the Department of Corrections 29 Double bunking 30 © Amnesty International 2021 Strip searched 34 Except where otherwise noted, content in this document is licensed Access to family, friends or outside support 36 under a Creative Commons (attribution, non-commercial, no derivatives, Clothing and bedding 37 international 4.0) licence. Language, culture and religion 39 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode Experiences of violence in detention 42 For more information please visit the permissions page on our website: NON CUSTODIAL MEASURES 45 www.amnesty.org Māngere Refugee Resettlement Centre 45 Where material is attributed to a copyright owner other than Amnesty Release on conditions in the community 46 International this material is not subject to the Creative Commons licence. LIVING IN THE SHADOW OF PRISON 48 First Published in 2021 by Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand How they see Aotearoa New Zealand 48 Incorporated, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 50 111 Karangahape Road, Auckland 1010, NZ PO Box 110103, Victoria Street West, Auckland 1148, NZ GLOSSARY OF TERMS 53 Index: ASA 32/4113/2021 Original language: English amnesty.org.nz EXECUTIVE SUMMARY & RECOMMENDATIONS “Please take me to a safe place” are the desperate words of a 20-year-old African asylum Between the years 2015 to 2020, Immigration New Zealand imprisoned approximately PLEASE TAKE ME seeker pleading to be released from prison in Auckland. After fleeing danger in his home 86 people seeking asylum. Whilst the majority of people who apply for asylum in Aotearoa country, he thought he would finally be safe in Aotearoa New Zealand. However, he was New Zealand are not detained at any stage, legislation and practice still allow for the TO A SAFE PLACE instead arrested and detained in a criminal prison solely on immigration grounds. He was detention of some asylum seekers solely on immigration grounds. Immigration New The imprisonment of only released after his refugee status was recognised, seven months later. Zealand can imprison an asylum seeker to hold them for future deportation pending the determination of their claim if they are considered at risk of absconding within Aotearoa asylum seekers in criminal In 2014, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention made a 15-day visit to New Zealand, pending satisfactory establishment of their identity, or on broad “threat Aotearoa New Zealand. In their report presented to the Human Rights Council in 2015, justice facilities in to security” grounds. In some cases, the Immigration Act 2009 effectively reverses the they highlighted their concern that Aotearoa New Zealand “is using the prison system to Aotearoa New Zealand presumption of liberty, contrary to international human rights standards. detain irregular migrants and asylum seekers, including Waikeria Prison, Arohata Prison for Women and Mt. Eden Corrections Facility. These prisons, and police stations, do not These 86 people had to pass through a complex hybrid of civil and criminal detention provide separate facilities for immigrants in an irregular situation or asylum seekers.”1 processes. This usually began by being arrested at the airport or in the community, They recommended the abolishment of this practice.2 detained in a police cell for several nights, brought before a judge in the District Court, and taken to a prison managed by the Department of Corrections or a private prison In the subsequent years after the visit from the working group, the Government of provider contracted by the Government. Their detention in a police cell or prison ranged Aotearoa New Zealand has continued to detain asylum seekers and irregular migrants in from several days to several years. Despite not being charged with a criminal offence in police stations and prisons. Aotearoa New Zealand, asylum seekers detained in a prison are are subject to essentially The number of asylum claimants detained in prison per year, shown by first year of the same regime as remand accused prisoners. detention only. Our findings from research conducted into the continuation of these policies in the last six-year period demonstrate that they have put refugees and asylum seekers at risk, and First Year Detained in some cases, constitute human rights violations. Their stories and the policies and First Year Asylum Claimants Were Detained Corrections Facility Name Totals practices that have contributed to the findings of this report are a stark picture of the in Prison Under section 316 of the 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 human rights failures and harms of this policy for the people who are subject to it. Immigration Act 2009 Across Correctional Mt Eden Corrections Facility 8 15 12 10 18 3 66 Our investigations have documented a case where a reported survivor of torture, later Facility Name as at 10 November 2020. Waikeria Prison 2 0 1 1 0 0 4 recognised as a refugee, was allegedly raped whilst being double bunked in prison. Table source: Immigration New Zealand Rimutaka Prison 1 2 0 0 1 0 4 Immigration New Zealand admitted to imprisoning several other people, later also recognised as refugees, who were past survivors of torture, mistreatment or sexual or Auckland Region Women’s 1 0 0 1 0 1 3 gender-based violence. We also interviewed a case where a man reported being caught Corrections Facility up in the notorious “fight clubs” at Mt Eden Corrections Facility, resulting in him being Christchurch Men’s Prison 0 1 1 0 1 0 3 forced to regularly fight other remand prisoners. Three men spoke of how their treatment Hawkes Bay Prison 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 led them to want to end their life. All spoke of the negative impacts on their well-being from their prison experience, and the shock that Aotearoa New Zealand would detain Christchurch Women’s Prison 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 asylum seekers. One man spent over three years of his life in limbo in prison as his claim for Spring Hill Corrections Facility asylum was processed and his hand was broken in an altercation with a cellmate. All those 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 (SHCF) we interviewed reported being double bunked at some point with remand prisoners in prison Other Facility 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 and it was standard practice to be strip searched. Language barriers for some meant they suffered in silence and couldn’t even ask for help. Three were detained in prison despite a Auckland Central Remand Prison 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 community group or family member offering to host them in the community. Their accounts Totals 13 20 14 14 21 4 86 and experiences are included throughout this report and tell the human side of the complex 3. This particular report focuses primarily on the detention of asylum web of systems, policies, laws and processes that they are subjected to. Their brave stories seekers in criminal justice facilities and the conditions. It does not discuss in detail whether the detention itself is arbitrary, but this is echo why international human rights bodies have repeatedly noted the inappropriateness an area of focus that requires further research. and harms of the use of police stations and prisons to detain asylum seekers and other 4. Regulation 184 of the Corrections Regulations 2005. There is one 5 narrow exception to this, which is that an immigration detainee may immigration detainees and that it should not take place. Amnesty International is calling for keep their own hairstyle. immediate and urgent reform to end these practices. 5. See the UNHCR Guidelines on the Applicable Criteria and Standards relating to the Detention of Asylum-Seekers and Alternatives to Detention, 2012 (thereinafter: UNHCR Detention Guidelines); UN 1. Report of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on its visit to Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Revised Deliberation No. New Zealand (24 March to 7 April 2014), UN Doc. A/HRC/30/36/ 5 on deprivation of liberty of migrants, 7 February 2018, http:// Add.2, 6 July 2015, para. 71. www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/Detention/RevisedDeliberation_ 2. Report of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on its visit to AdvanceEditedVersion.pdf (thereinafter: WGAD 2018); UNHCR New Zealand (24 March to 7 April 2014), UN Doc. A/HRC/30/36/ Executive Committee, Conclusion No. 44 (XXXVII) – 1986, Detention Add.2, 6 July 2015, para.