Alternatives to detention for asylum seekers and people in return procedures 5. Selected research publications Although many Member States provide for alternatives to detention, these are seldom used and usually only in the case of particularly vulnerable groups, such as families with children and unaccompanied minors. In addition to traditional forms of alternatives to detention, more innovative projects have been piloted that involve a combination of social work and counselling with accommodation at designated places, such as open houses. The studies below provide further information on the practical experiences of EU Member States in implementing alternatives to immigration detention. Document Content Odysseus Network, Alternatives to Immigration and asylum detention in the EU, January 2015 The first part of the report covers the legal framework for alternatives to detention, with references to law and literature. The second part focuses on the implementation of A2D in Austria, Belgium, Lithuania, Slovenia, Sweden and the United Kingdom. It explores in great detail the EUMS’ obligations under the recast Reception Conditions Directive and analyses the issue of access to rights for individuals placed under A2D. The national reports of the six countries covered are also available on the Odysseus Network website. European Migration Network (EMN), Synthesis Report – The Use of Detention and Alternatives to Detention in the Context of Immigration Policies, November 2014 “The study aimed to identify similarities, differences and best practices with regard to the use of detention and alternatives to detention in the context of (Member) States’ immigration policies.” It was prepared on the basis of national contributions of 26 EMN National Contact Points. “Special attention was given to detention and/or alternatives to detention in respect of vulnerable persons such as minors, families with children, pregnant women and persons with special needs.” The country reports are also available for AT, BE, BG, HR, CY, CZ, FI, DE, GR, HU, LV, LT, LU, NL, SK, SI, ES, SE, NO and PL. Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on EU Return Policy, COM(2014) 199 final, 28 March 2014 Table 3 (p. 16) provides the legal and practical application of alternatives to detention in 27 EU Member States. UNHCR, Beyond Detention: A Global Strategy to support governments to end the detention of asylum-seeker and refugees, 2014-2018, 2014 The strategy aims to make the detention of asylum-seekers an exceptional rather than routine practice. To ensure that alternatives to detention are available in law and implemented in practice is the 2nd of the three main goal of the strategy. Refugee Studies Centre, Forced Migration Review No. 44 Detention, alternatives to detention, and deportation, September 2013 This issue contains 10 articles related to alternatives to detention. The authors highlight the benefits of A2D and offer a presentation of its implementation in several countries such as Australia, Belgium, Sweden, the UK and the USA. UNHCR, Building Empirical Research into Alternatives to Based on qualitative research in Toronto and Geneva, the study aims to “bring the perspectives of asylum-seekers, refugees 21