Refugees in Thailand allege detention centre abuse

The detention centre was sweltering as Bangkok’s heat oppressed the crowded room. 

Dark steel bars lined the cells while scores of imprisoned migrants counted down the hours of the day. Crammed together in a tight space, the refugees were in a constantly agitated state. The watchful eyes of the correctional officers loomed over them from the other side of the bars.

“If I even made a small mistake … they would ring the bell and immigration [personnel] would come in and beat you like an animal,” said *David, a refugee who recalled his experience living in Bangkok’s Immigration Detention Center (IDC) on and off from 2014 to the end of 2021. 

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CALEB QUINLEY