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4.7.2.1. House rules and measures for applicants with disruptive behaviour

4.7.2.1. House rules and measures for applicants with disruptive behaviour

icon for house rules and measures in reception

The house rules for reception facilities were amended in Slovenia, while in the Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland, the focus has been on preventing violence and disruptive behaviour within and in the vicinity of reception centres.

The International Protection Act was amended in Slovenia and the new sanction system for breaching house rules of the reception facility started to be applied as of November 2021. The implementing acts were also adopted, including a decree on house rules in reception facilities.SI LEG. (2021, November 4). Uredba o hišnem redu azilnega doma [Decree on the house rules of the asylum centre]. http://www.pisrs.si/Pis.web/pregledPredpisa?id=URED8350  The Legal Information Centre for NGOs assessed that moving an applicant to a special, separate room as a sanction to a severe violation of the house rules de facto amounts to detention.European Council on Refugees and Exiles. (2022). Input to the Asylum Report 2022. https://euaa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/2022-03/European_Council_on_…  

The Justice and Security Inspectorate in the Netherlands (which supervises the implementing organisations of the Ministry of Justice and Security) published a follow-up study on the approach to applicants with disruptive behaviour.Ministry of Justice and Security | Ministerie van Justitie en Veiligheid. (2021, June 15). Rapport Vervolgonderzoek naar de aanpak van overlastgevende asielzoekers [Report Follow-up research on the approach to asylum seekers causing nuisance]. https://www.inspectie-jenv.nl/Publicaties/rapporten/2021/06/15/rapport-…  The report notes and welcomes the improvements since 2018, when the first specialised reception facilities for applicants with disruptive behaviour were established. But it underlines the difficulties that persist in regular reception facilities, which seem to lack sufficient powers, expertise and means to limit the impact of the behaviour of a small group of applicants, mainly originating from safe countries of origin. The inspectorate listed several recommendations, including:

i)    providing more resources and building the expertise of COA employees to be able to effectively deal with the situation; 
ii)    ensuring that the police uses all criminal law options to pursue perpetrators; and
iii)    the IND prioritising cases of disruptive applicants and at the same time the police, the IND and DT&V ensuring arrangements for an effective return and examining possibilities to exchange information within the EU on disruptive applicants. 

The State Secretary for Justice and Security reacted that the occurrence of disruptive behaviour is complex. Many disruptive applicants, some of whom are unaccompanied minors, have a drug or alcohol addiction combined with mental health issues. The State Secretary therefore suggested improving collaboration with and access to regular care facilities, while avoiding the creation of a parallel health care system for asylum applicants.Ministry of Justice and Security | Ministerie van Justitie en Veiligheid. (2021, June 15). Kamerbrief met beleidsreactie op rapport over vervolgonderzoek naar de aanpak van overlastgevende asielzoekers [Parliamentary brief with policy response to the report on follow-up research into the approach to asylum seekers causing nuisance]. https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/documenten/kamerstukken/2021/06/15/tk-bele…  

COA and the IND have translated these recommendations from the Justice and Security Inspectorate into action, including an increased use of addiction experts and collaboration with health services and police. In addition, COA has worked out a plan of action to deal with residents with disruptive behaviour and co-developed an agenda with all chain-partners to counter applicants with disruptive and criminal behaviour in and outside of reception facilities. In 2022, the COA will implement two projects with AMIF funding, one focusing on unaccompanied minors who require more supervision and guidance in a small-scale reception facility and the other developing methods to counter disruptive behaviour by unaccompanied minors and improving the safety of residents and staff in facilities for unaccompanied minors (see Section 5).Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers | Centraal Orgaan opvang asielzoekers. (2022, January 1). AMIF-projecten: opvang en begeleiding asielzoekers verbeteren [AMIF projects: improving the reception and support of asylum seekers]. https://www.coa.nl/nl/amif-projecten-opvang-en-begeleiding-asielzoekers…  
 
In Switzerland, the special centre for applicants with disruptive behaviour in Les Verrières was reopened again in February 2021, after it was temporarily closed in September 2019.State Secretariat for Migration | Staatssekretariat für Migration | Secrétariat d’État aux migrations | Segreteria di Stato della migrazione. (2021, February 2). Remise en service du centre fédéral spécifique pour requérants d’asile des Verrières [Relaunching the special federal centre for asylum seekers in Verrières]. https://www.sem.admin.ch/sem/fr/home/sem/medien/mm.msg-id-82196.html  The State Secretariat for Migration noted after a month that the security situation had improved in the other centres, and there were fewer incidents reported after placing 21 applicants in the special centre with reinforced supervision and experienced staff.State Secretariat for Migration | Staatssekretariat für Migration | Secrétariat d’État aux migrations | Segreteria di Stato della migrazione. (2021, March 26). Situation sécuritaire améliorée à la suite de la réouverture du centre spécifique pour requérants d'asile des Verrières [Improved security situation following the reopening of the specific centre for asylum seekers in the Verrières]. https://www.sem.admin.ch/sem/fr/home/sem/medien/mm.msg-id-82848.html  This was part of the measures the organisation has implemented following the 2020 report from the Swiss National Commission for the Prevention of Torture mentioning reports of several incidents in federal asylum centres when security personnel used excessive force or implemented disproportionate measures.National Commission for the Prevention of Torture | Nationale Kommission zur Verhütung von Folter | Commission National de Prévention de la Torture | Commissione nazionale per la prevenzione della tortura. (December 2020). Résumé du rapport de la Commission nationale de prévention de la torture sur ses visites dans les centres fédéraux pour requérants d’asile (2019-2020) [Summary of the report of the National Commission for the Prevention of Torture on its visits to federal centres for asylum applicants (2019-2020)]. https://www.nkvf.admin.ch/dam/nkvf/fr/data/Berichte/2020/baz/ber-zus-ba…  

The State Secretariat for Migration also launched an internal audit to review and improve internal processes related to security. Supervisory staff were deployed in federal asylum centres, and security personnel were instructed to reach out to them to de-escalate conflicts. Pilot projects were launched to engage Muslim chaplains and organise consultations on addictions. The organisation also examined setting up an external agency to collect applicant complaints.State Secretariat for Migration | Staatssekretariat für Migration | Secrétariat d’État aux migrations | Segreteria di Stato della migrazione. (2021, May 5). Le SEM commande une enquête sur des allégations de violence [SEM orders investigation into allegations of violence]. https://www.sem.admin.ch/sem/fr/home/sem/medien/mm.msg-id-83389.html

Still, media reports persisted in the first half of 2021 about the excessive use of force in Swiss federal centres.State Secretariat for Migration | Staatssekretariat für Migration | Secrétariat d’État aux migrations | Segreteria di Stato della migrazione. (2021, May 5). Le SEM commande une enquête sur des allégations de violence [SEM orders investigation into allegations of violence]. https://www.sem.admin.ch/sem/fr/home/sem/medien/mm.msg-id-83389.html  For example, a report from Amnesty International documented abuses committed by the security personnel in 2020 and at the beginning of 2021.Amnesty International. (May 2021). «Je demande que les requérants d'asile soient traités comme des êtres humains» – Violation des droits humains dans les centres fédéraux d'asile Suisses [«I request that asylum seekers be treated as human beings» — Violation of human rights in the Swiss federal asylum centres]. https://www.amnesty.ch/fr/sur-amnesty/publications/magazine-amnesty/202…; Amnesty International. (2021, May 19). Amnesty International appelle à une action urgente pour mettre fin aux violations des droits humains dans les centres fédéraux d’asile [Amnesty International calls for urgent action to end human rights violations in federal asylum centres]. https://www.amnesty.ch/fr/pays/europe-asie-centrale/suisse/docs/2021/vi…  In response, the State Secretariat for Migration appointed a former federal judge to investigate externally the allegations, who found no indications of systematic violence and concluded that the incidents involved a few security officers and criminal investigations were opened.State Secretariat for Migration | Staatssekretariat für Migration | Secrétariat d’État aux migrations | Segreteria di Stato della migrazione. (2021, October 18). Pas d’indices de violence systématique dans les centres fédéraux pour requérants d’asile [No evidence of systematic violence in federal centres for asylum seekers]. https://www.sem.admin.ch/sem/fr/home/sem/medien/mm.msg-id-85485.html  The report made additional recommendations, such as to review and revise the training for security personnel, review and clarify rules for disciplinary measures and the legal basis for the use of coercion, and provide staff with police training in key positions of federal asylum centres.State Secretariat for Migration | Staatssekretariat für Migration | Secrétariat d’État aux migrations | Segreteria di Stato della migrazione. (2021, October 18). Pas d’indices de violence systématique dans les centres fédéraux pour requérants d’asile [No evidence of systematic violence in federal centres for asylum seekers]. https://www.sem.admin.ch/sem/fr/home/sem/medien/mm.msg-id-85485.html  The civil society platform, humanrights.ch, believed there were weaknesses in the report’s methodology and did not categorically exclude the possibility of structural violence.humanrights.ch. (2022, January 4). Les violations des droits humains dans les centres fédéraux d’asile pas suffisamment éclaircies [No evidence of systematic violence in federal centres for asylum seekers]. https://www.humanrights.ch/fr/nouvelles/violations-droits-humains-centr…  

The UDI in Norway announced a tender for a new supplier to train reception staff who lead dialogue groups on violence in reception centres.Norwegian Directorate of Immigration | Utlendingsdirektoratet. (2021, September 22). Fortsetter tiltak mot vold [Continued action against violence]. https://www.udi.no/aktuelt/fortsetter-tiltak-mot-vold/  The dialogue groups are offered for men and boys over the age of 15, and the UDI was considering developing a similar scheme for women. The programme is part of the new national action plan aiming to prevent negative social control and honour-related violence.Ministry of Labor and Social Inclusion | Arbeids- og inkluderingsdepartementet. (2021, June 16). Frihet fra negativ sosial kontroll og æresrelatert vold (2021-2024) [Freedom from negative social control and honour-related violence (2021-2024)]. https://www.regjeringen.no/no/dokumenter/frihet-fra-negativ-sosial-kont…