On the one hand, the project aimed at gaining a profound knowledge of the main transformations of immigration detention systems in Canada and Spain. For this purpose, an extensive review of statistics, public policies, policy documents, reports and scientific literature has been carried out. This has been supplemented by a deep involvement in the field through the connection with a wide network of experts, scholars, public institutions, lawyers, advocates, NGOs, activists and ex-detainees. Finally, the participation and organization of workshops, conferences, public talks and seminars and the involvement in the work of civil society organizations have contributed to the comprehensive exploration of both case studies.
On the other hand, the project sought to better understand the post-detention period. In the case of Canada, this involved paying particular attention to the novel programme of alternatives to detention. For the Spanish case, the attention was paid to the diversity of centres and services for the attention of migrants and asylum seekers after release and, more broadly, to the economic sectors where undocumented migrants end up working in precarious conditions. The fieldwork has been based on the use of qualitative methodologies to collect testimonies, experiences and expert knowledge from different actors, such as public authorities, community-based organizations, NGOs and civil society organizations supporting migrants and asylum claimants, advocates, lawyers and those subjected to alternatives to detention and living without legal status.
The results achieved so far have been shared with the academic community and the society as a whole through public talks and seminars in academic and civil society environments and the presentation of results in international conferences. Finally, the project has begun to create a network of international researchers in the field in order to collaborate and discuss new advances in this area.
