The Establishment of Alternative Measures to the Detention of Children and the Non-Detention of Children in Thailand’s Immigration Detention Centers

Abstract

The article titled “Establishing Alternatives to Child Detention and the Non-Detention of Children in Immigration Detention Centers in Thailand” aims to examine child protection mechanisms in the context of migration, with a focus on children who accompany their parents into Thailand unlawfully and other vulnerable groups of children. Migration is a global phenomenon driven by economic factors, conflicts, and the search for new places of residence. As a result, many children are arrested and detained in immigration detention centers, which resemble prisons and are unsuitable for their physical and psychological development. Detention has long-term negative impacts on children’s cognitive, emotional, and social development, especially when they are separated from their families or guardians. The study finds that detaining children constitutes a violation of their fundamental rights, restricts access to essential welfare services, increases the financial burden on the state, and leads to overcrowding due to delays in the verification of personal status. Furthermore, it is inconsistent with Thailand’s obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which requires that the best interests of the child be a primary consideration, and it negatively affects the country’s human rights image. Therefore, the article proposes the use of Alternatives to Detention (ATD), including family-based care, the provision of appropriate temporary shelters, and the development of effective monitoring systems. These approaches aim to balance state security with the protection of human rights. Such measures are essential for ensuring non-discriminatory protection of migrant children and for achieving the sustainable abolition of child detention in accordance with international standards.