The Association for the Protection of Refugee Women and Children (HAMI) actively participated in the Second Global Youth Consultation on Alternatives to Detention, held on 15 May 2025, organized by the Migration Youth & Children Platform (MYCP) in collaboration with the International Detention Coalition (IDC), UNICEF, UNHCR, and the UN Network on Migration.
This Global Youth Consultation served as an important multistakeholder forum, bringing together youth representatives, governments, international organizations, civil society actors, and private sector partners from all regions of the world. The event aimed to foster dialogue, knowledge exchange, and collective action on the development of humane, rights-based alternatives to the immigration detention of children and young people.
The consultation included plenary discussions and regional breakout sessions (held under the Chatham House Rule) where participants shared their lived experiences, best practices, and policy recommendations to ensure that migration management respects human rights, dignity, and child protection principles.
During this global dialogue, HAMI shared its experiences from Iran, focusing on the situation of Afghan refugees and asylum seekers, who represent one of the largest and most long-standing displaced populations in the region. HAMI highlighted key challenges, including limited access to education, healthcare, psychosocial support, and legal protection, as well as the growing pressure on host communities due to economic and social constraints.
The organization emphasized the importance of community-based and non-custodial protection mechanisms, calling for greater international cooperation and inclusive policymaking to ensure that both refugees and host communities are supported in a sustainable and dignified manner.
HAMI’s active engagement in this global consultation underscores its long-standing commitment to advocating for the rights of refugee women and children, promoting humane migration governance, and contributing to global discussions that seek practical and compassionate solutions to forced displacement.