A/76/257 Firewalls and data protection 71. In Ireland, no information on immigration status is sought from persons coming forward for social support or medical attention, including undocumented migrants. 75 In Switzerland, medical insurance companies and federal cantons are only allowed to pass on the personal data of an insured person to the immigration authorities if the person concerned has consented to it in writing or, if it is not possible to obtain that person’s consent, when the circumstances allow it to be presumed that it is in the interest of the insured. 76 Addressing spreading risks in immigration detention 72. Some countries have taken positive steps to contain the spread of virus in the context of immigration detention. Measures include releasing migrant detainees, avoiding new placements in detention facilities and improving hygiene, health and security standards in immigration detention centres. 73. In Spain, authorities have ordered the release of detainees from the main detention centres and provided accommodation in State-funded reception programmes run by NGOs. Belgium, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands have released hundreds of detainees on an individual basis. In Germany, in some cases, alternatives to detention have been applied, with reporting requirements, an obligation to surrender passports or travel documents, or requirements to reside at a specific address. In Canada, immigration authorities have reduced the detainee population by more than half. 77 In Mexico, following an injunction filed by several civil society organizations because of the lack of measures to protect the life, integrity and health in migratory stations and shelters, a federal judge ordered the release of more than 60 people in a vulnerable situation, including older adults and pregnant women. 78 National human rights institutions and national preventive mechanisms, such as those of Australia, Romania and Serbia, have visited or followed up the situation in immigration detention and reception centres and have provided advice and guidance on improving detention and living standards during the COVID-19 pandemic. 79 Socioeconomic integration of migrants 74. States and other stakeholders have promoted the socioeconomic integration of migrants with a view to restoring human rights and conditions for sustainability. Within the framework of the Quito Process on the Human Mobility of Venezuelan Nationals in the Region and the Coordination Platform for Refugees and Migrants from Venezuela, and supported by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Latin American and Caribbean countries of destinations are promoting socioeconomic integration of refugees and migrants in order to address access to services, protection, inclusion in labour markets, social cohesion and other COVID-19 pandemic-related challenges. 80 In Athens; Beirut; Bristol, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; Buenos Aires; Freetown; Montreal, Canada; São Paulo, Brazil; Zurich, Switzerland and other localities, local governments have taken direct action to support migrants, __________________ 75 76 77 78 79 80 16/22 Submission by Ireland. Submission by Switzerland. Submissions by Global Detention Project and Germany; see also www.who.int/publications/i/ item/9789240028906. Submissions by: Comisión de Derechos Humanos de la Ciudad de México; Centro por la Justicia y el Derecho Internacional. Submissions by: Australian Human Rights Commission; Ombudsperson of Romania; Ombudsperson of Serbia. See www.latinamerica.undp.org/content/rblac/en/home/presscenter/pressreleases/2021/una estrategia-de-integracion-socioeconomica-para-convertir-a-la.html. 21-10577