On 22–23 September 2026, Forum for Human Rights took part in a meeting of the European Alternatives to Detention Network (EATDN). Established in 2017, the network brings together European non-governmental organisations working to reduce the use of immigration detention and promote effective human rights-based alternatives to detention.
This year’s meeting in Rome was organised by the International Detention Coalition (IDC), an international network bringing together hundreds of non-governmental organisations working on migration issues around the world. The event was attended by representatives of organisations including PICUM, Jesuit Refugee Service, CILD and Fundación Cepaim.
The two-day meeting focused on current developments in the field of migration at both the international and European levels, including the political environment in which non-governmental organisations currently operate. A significant part of the programme was dedicated to the new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, its implementation at the national level, and the opportunities and challenges involved in promoting alternatives to detention.
Participants shared their experiences from different European countries, including Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Bulgaria, and discussed how to advance effective alternatives to detention in the current context.
Forum for Human Rights shared its experience of strategic litigation concerning the detention of children in migration contexts. We presented the current legal and policy context in the Czech Republic, including the implementation of the EU Pact, as well as our experience with strategic litigation before Czech courts and international human rights mechanisms. We also presented our work within the RELEASE project and the newly launched GUARD project, which focuses on protecting children at risk of detention and on ensuring that the EU Pact is implemented in accordance with international human rights standards.
The meeting aimed to share experiences and good practices in protecting the rights of migrants, and to identify common priorities, opportunities for cooperation and possibilities for coordinated action within the EATDN network.
