Violence Within State Borders Database - Guide

The testimonies in the Violence Within State Borders Database are divided into two different categories depending on the type of events described and their length: Conditions Monitoring and Incidents.

Conditions Monitoring: Describe a forceful stay at a state-run facility for over a period of time, including police stations, Pre-Removal Detention Centres, Closed-Controlled Access Centers. These testimonies focus on the longer-term violations related to the general conditions of the facility, such as lack of access to health care, insufficient food or lack of hygiene, as well as any type of physical or psychological violence.

*Group size: on the testimonies that fall under the umbrella of “Conditions Monitoring”, group size is not included and the data displayed relates only to the experience of the individual responding. This is due to the fact that they describe violence over a longer period of time, and the number of people affected by the events described vary over the time referred to in the testimony

Incidents: These testimonies refer to a specific violent event against a person or group of people on the move, which takes place on one day. They can be filtered by different categories of violence: Eviction, Street Violence (state actors), Street Violence (non-state actors), Violence within Camps, Apprehension, Pullback and Other.

Below, you can find a description of the different categories used:

• Eviction: A group of people is forced to leave their living space and prevented from coming back immediately. This includes any type of private living spaces, can be formal or informal. In many cases, this involves the relocation of the individuals to a different place, often very far away from the initial living space.

• Violence in the public space (state actors): Physical or psychological violence carried out by any state actor in the public space or outside of government facilities, including cities, wilderness…

• Violence in the public space (non-state actors): Physical or psychological violence carried out by any non-state actor in the public space. Includes violence by individuals as well as organised groups.

• Violence within camps: An incident of physical or psychological violence carried out by any authorities inside of open or semi-open state living facilities, including Transit Reception Centres, Asylum Centres, Closed-Controlled Access Centers. Testimonies may also include mentions to violations related to the general conditions of the facility, such as lack of access to health care, insufficient food or lack of hygiene. This category also includes violence by private security guards in these facilities.

• Apprehension: An individual or group is taken by state authorities and transported to a different place, often a police station. This category also includes instances of violent arrests of people in border areas.

• Pullback: An individual or group is forcefully prevented from crossing a border by the authorities of the country they’re trying to leave. Includes cases of maritime crossings where the authorities intentionally damage the vessels used.