The Detention Center

Criticism by the Council of Europe Anti-torture Committee (CPT)

On January 7th 2020, the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) published a report, which criticizes the conditions in Immigration Detention Center Ellebæk heavily.

The place is furthermore characterized by a high level of deprivation of freedom, including very limited access to outdoor areas, neither access to mobile phones nor to basic internet services.

According to the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT), that visited Ellebæk, the “The CPT considers it unacceptable that the living conditions in [Ellebæk Detention Center, red.] were prison-like and that the prison rules applied to all detained migrants. It emphasises that migration detainees are generally neither suspected nor have they been convicted of a criminal offence. If their detention is nevertheless considered necessary, they should be held under conditions promoting a sense of normality and with minimum internal security restrictions.”

The report can be accessed here:

A Few Words

Immigration Detention Center Ellebæk is located in the north of Zealand between Allerød and Birkerød. It is established in buildings previously part of Sandholm Barracks and is the neighbor of Center Sandholm. The center is run by the Prison Administration Authority of Denmark, and the conditions for detainees are worse than for those remanded in custody. One can be detained in the detention center for up to 18 months at a time, and in some cases even longer.

The detention center has more than 170 positions and accommodates foreigners who are detained due to the Danish Aliens Act. Thus, detainees are usually not detained due to criminal convictions, but due to reasons stipulated by the Aliens Act. That is why Ellebæk is called an Immigration Detention Center and not a prison, and the reason why the state speaks of detainees instead of prisoners.

The center accommodates both male and female detainees. Female detainees are accommodated in a separate building. Immigration Detention Center Ellebæk was established in 1989 and has since been expanded several times, as more buildings have been used, and new ones were added from 2019 to 2022.

Home page

Immigration Detention Center Ellebæk on the homepage of Kriminalforsorgen (Prison Administration Authority):

Amnesty

Amnesty International hosts a detailed website about the Immigration Detention Center Ellebæk, containing background information, witness statements, and a Q&A (in danish):

Danish Parliamentary

On 6 September 2022, The Danish Parliamentary Ombudsman made a pre-announced visit to the Immigration Center Ellebæk. The result of this can be read here (Danish):

Critiques

In September 2023, 22 NGOs, including Ellebæk Contact Network, sent an alternative report to the UN Committee on Torture, to be considered during the committee’s examination of Denmark in November 2023.

More info

This led to a process of significant political criticism. The following are Danish links from this period.

The Council of Europe’s criticism made headlines in most national media, for example on DR:

“Sharp international criticism: Immigration center is worse than a prison”, Cathrine Lakmann, Danmarks Radio, 7. January 2020 (danish).

This immediately led to a number of political reactions from Enhedslisten, SF, Radikale Venstre, and the then Social Democratic Minister of Justice, Nick Hækkerup (danish):

In connection with the publication of the report, Amnesty International started a signature collection to improve the conditions in Udlændingecenter Ellebæk, which received 35,014 signatures (Danish):

As a result of the report, the Danish Parliament’s Legal Committee summoned Minister of Justice Nick Hækkerup and Minister of Immigration and Integration Mattias Tesfaye to a consultation on September 3rd 2020 (Danish):

A few days before the consultation, the government’s official response to the report was published. Here, to a large extent, only the part of the criticism that dealt with the physical framework was replied to (in English):

This resulted in another consultation being called, which was held on 23 February 2021 (Danish):

“Former employee in Ellebæk and trustee: “The conditions do not live up to what a western, civilized society should offer people”, Sarah Kott, Jyllands-Posten, 7. januar 2020. (danish):

“Denmark’s treatment of foreigners at the Immigration Center Ellebæk surprises the Council of Europe”, Mads Bonde Broberg og Sarah Kott, Jyllands-Posten, 7. januar 2020 (danish):

“The government should improve conditions at Ellebæk now”, Andrea Dragsdahl, Information, 9. January 2020. (Danish):

“International report on Danish immigration center receives harsh criticism from experts: “double standards”, “one-sided” and “problematic””, Helene Kristine Holst, Berlingske, 13. January 2020. (Danish):

“In Denmark we imprison victims of human trafficking”, Annick Prieur, Mette Rømer og Michelle Mildwater, Information, 13. januar 2020. (danish):

“Former doctor: Immigration center Ellebæk is not at all suitable for vulnerable people”, Søren Klebak, Politiken, 13. januar 2020 (danish):

“Immigration center Ellebæk says more about us than about those we humiliate”, Anne Lise Marstrand-Jørgensen, Politiken, 15. January 2020. (Danish):

“At Ellebæk, foreigners are thrown into solitary confinement for more than 15 days. It is against UN rules”, Lisa Blinkenberg, Information, 31. marts 2021 (danish):

Read about Ellebæk in the chapter:

LOIPR 24: DETENTION OF ASYLUM SEEKERS (ELLEBÆK) p. 27

The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights

In May 2023 The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights was visiting Denmark. The visit focussed on issues of immigration and asylum and the rights of persons with disabilities. Ellebæk Contact Network had the opportunity to meet her and share our concerns about Ellebæk.

This is the report from the Commissioners visit:

Chapters about Ellebæk: 1.3.2 ADMINISTRATIVE DETENTION and 1.3.3 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS point 38

Immigration center Ellebæk has been the subject of criticism for several years before the publication of the Council of Europe anti-torture Committee report, for example, these articles and reports:

“The last business card from Denmark”Weekendavisen, Anne Jensen Sand, 6. december 2019 (danish):

“Trapped in Immigration center Ellebæk: An everyday life characterized by fear and powerlessness”, Elisabet Kass, Eftertrykket, 16. June 2019 (danish):

“Rejected persons are locked up in Ellebæk for up to a year and a half: I never thought this about Denmark”, Sofie Synnøve Herschend, TV2, 10. marts 2019 (danish):

“Stop Killing Us Slowly. A research report on the motivational measures and the criminalization of rejected asylum seekers in Denmark”, Julia Suárez-Krabbe, Annika Lindberg og José Arce-Bayona, Freedom of Movements, 2018 (danish):

“Asylum seekers deprived of their liberty in Ellebæk. Degree of traumatization and state of health among asylum seekers detained in Institutionen Ellebæk”, Amnesty International’s Danish Medical Group, Amnesty International, 2013 (Danish):