This is a list of internment and concentration camps, organized by country. In general, a camp or group of camps is designated to the country whose government was responsible for the establishment and/or operation of the camp regardless of the camp's location, but this principle can be, or it can appear to be, departed from in such cases as where a country's borders or name has changed or it was occupied by a foreign power.
Certain types of camps are excluded from this list, particularly refugee camps operated or endorsed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Additionally, prisoner-of-war camps that do not also intern non-combatants or civilians are treated under a separate category.
Argentina
During the Dirty War which accompanied the 1976–1983 military dictatorship, there were over 300 places throughout the country that served as secret detention centres, where people were interrogated, tortured, and killed. Prisoners were often forced to hand and sign over property, in acts of individual, rather than official and systematic, corruption. Small children who were taken with their relatives, and babies born to female prisoners later killed, were frequently given for adoption to politically acceptable, often military, families. This is documented by a number of cases dating since the 1990s in which adopted children have identified their real families.
These were relatively small secret detention centres rather than actual camps. The peak years were 1976–78. According to the report of CONADEP (Argentine National Commission on the Disappearance of Persons) Report. 8,960 were killed during the Dirty War. It states that "We have reason to believe that the true figure is much higher" which is due to the fact that by the time they published the report (in late 1984) the research wasn't fully accomplished; human rights organizations today consider 30,000 to be killed (disappeared). There was a total of 340 secret detention centres all over the country's territory.
Australia
World War I During World War I, 2,940 German and Austrian men were interned in ten different camps in Australia. Almost all of the men listed as being Austrians were from the Croatian coastal region of Dalmatia, then under Austrian rule.
In 1915 many of the smaller camps in Australia closed, with their inmates transferred to larger camps. The largest camp was Holsworthy Internment Camp at Holsworthy.Germans interned in Australia Families of the interned men were placed in a camp near Canberra.
World War II During World War II, internment camps were established at Orange and Hay in New South Wales for ethnic Germans in Australia whose loyalty was suspect; German refugees from Nazism including the "Dunera boys"; and Italian immigrants, many were later transferred to Tatura in Victoria (4,721 Italian immigrants were interned in Australia).
Modern day
The Department of Immigration and Border Protection currently jointly manages two immigration centres on Nauru and Manus Islands with the host governments of Nauru and Papua New Guinea, for the indefinite detention of asylum seekers attempting to reach Australia by boat. The claims of the asylum seekers to refugee status are processed in these centres. They are a part of the Australian government's policy that asylum seekers attempting to reach Australia by boat will never be permitted to settle in Australia, even if they are found to be refugees, but may be settled in other countries. The clear intention of the Australian government's policy is to deter asylum seekers attempting to reach Australia by boat. The great majority of boats come from Indonesia, which is used as a convenient jumping-off point for asylum seekers from other countries who want to reach Australia.
These centres are not United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees-endorsed refugee camps, and the operation of these facilities has caused controversy, such as allegations of torture and other breaches of human rights.
Austria-Hungary World War I (Austria-Hungary) Starting in 1914, 16 camps were built in the Austrian regions of Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Salzburg and Styria. The majority of prisoners came from Russia, Italy, Serbia and Romania. Citizens deemed enemies of the state were displaced from their homes and sent to camps throughout the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In addition of (internment camp) for civilians of enemy states, Austria-Hungary incarcerated over one million Allied prisoners of war.
Austria
Braunau in Bohemia (today: Broumov in the Czech Republic), formed on 11 June 1915. Housed Serbian and Russian POWs and civilian internees, including underage Serbian children. Mauthausen, formed 22. September 1914. Housed Serbian and Italian POWs and Serbian civilian internees. Aschach an der Donau, Housed Serbian and Montenegrin POW officers and soldiers and civilian internees. Drosendorf internment camp Grossau internment camp Heinrichsgrün (today: Jindřichovice Czech Republic), formed beginning of June 1915, received first internees 17 June 1915. Housed Russian, Italian, Montenegrin and Serbian POWs and Montenegrin and Serbian civilian internees. Illmau internment camp – in the Waldviertel Katzenau – The largest internment camp in the territory of the monarchy, located on the right bank of the Danube near Linz, was used as an internment camp for civilians after Italy entered the war. Karlstein an der Thaya internment camp Kirchberg an der Wild internment camp – in the Zwettl district Markl internment camp – In Windigsteig in the Waldviertel region Neulengbach internment camp Sittmannshof internment camp – located near Loibes in Lower Austria's Waldviertel region between 1915 and 1916. Steinklamm internment camp – located in the municipality of Rabenstein an der Pielach in Lower Austria. Thalerhof internment camp – Between 1914 and 1917, around 30,000 people from Eastern Europe (mainly Ukrainians) were interned in the Thalerhof camp near Feldkirchen, south of Graz.
Bosnia and Herzegovina Doboj
Hungary
Arad (today in Romania) Sopronnyék (today: Samersdorf, Austria), formed on 5. April 1915. Housed Serbian and Montenegrin POWs and civilian internees, including underage children. Boldogasszony (today: Frauerkirchen, Austria), formed in February 1915. Housed Russian, Italian, Romanian, Serbian and Montenegrin POWs and Serbian and Montenegrin civilian internees. Budapest Cegléd Csót Esztergom Győr Kecskemét Kenyérmező Nagymegyer (today Veľký Meder Slovakia) Nezsider - The Nezsider concentration camp in Hungary, about 17,000 internees, mostly from Serbia and Montenegro, were held throughout the war. Tápiósüly (today part of Sülysáp) - internment camp for civilians, including women and children, 45 km East of Budapest
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnian war
In a UN report, 381 out of 677 alleged camps have been corroborated and verified, involving all warring factions during the Bosnian War.
Serb controlledCroat controlledBosniak controlled Buk BijelaICTY official web site: Case Information Sheet: Zelenović) Omarska camp Partizan sports hall Luka camp Liplje camp Batković camp Sušica camp Vilina Vlas Uzamnica camp Trnopolje camp Keraterm camp Manjača camp Dretelj camp Heliodrom camp Gabela camp Vojno camp Čelebići prison camp(Bosniak/Croat-controlled) Silos camp Kamenica camp(El Mudžahid-controlled)
Bulgaria World War I (Bulgaria) During World War I, Bulgaria was part of the Central Powers with Germany, Austria Hungary and Turkey. The Bulgarians established their largest prison camps in Sofia as well as smaller working camps across the kingdom but also military prison camps in Bulgarian occupied Serbia. Dobritch (Bazargic) Gorno Panicherevo - Located near Stara Zagora, holding prisoners of war and Serbian civilian internees, including women, children, a French school teacher and 84 Orthodox priests (according to Red Cross inspection of 11 May 1917) Haskovo - This prison camp held both Serbian prisoners of war and civilian internees, including women, children, and priests. Orhanie (today called Botevgrad) held both prisoners of war and civilian internees, mostly Serbian but also Russian. Philippopolis - The camp was established on the site of a former cholera hospital and incarcerated approximately 5,250 Serbian, British, and French with a majority of Serbian civilians. Rakhovo (today Slovakia) Sliven - Sliven held approximately 19,900 Serbian, Romanian, Russian, British, and French prisoners, including sixteen Serbian Orthodox priests. Sofia - The Bulgarian army maintained three prison camps around the city, holding a total of 20,000 prisoners of war and civilian internees. Camp 1 - Mostly French prisoners Camp 2 - Mostly Serbian prisoners Camp 3 - Mostly Serbian prisoners with some Russians, Romanians and Italians
Bulgarian occupied Serbia Niš Struga (today North Macedonia) - In Bulgarian-occupied province of Monastir in southwestern Serbia.
Cambodia
The totalitarian communist Khmer Rouge régime established over 150 prisons for political opponents, of which Tuol Sleng is the best known. According to Ben Kiernan, "all but seven of the twenty thousand Tuol Sleng prisoners" were executed.
Canada
World War I (Canada)
Ukrainian Canadian internment
In World War I, 8,579 male "aliens of enemy nationality" were interned, including 5,954 Austro-Hungarians, including ethnic Ukrainians, Croats, and Serbs. Many of these internees were used for forced labour in internment camps.
Camps and relocation centres elsewhere in Canada There were internment camps near Kananaskis, Alberta; Petawawa, Ontario; Hull, Quebec; Minto, New Brunswick; and Amherst, Nova Scotia.
About 250 people worked as guards at the Amherst, Nova Scotia camp at Park and Hickman streets from April 1915 to September 1919. The prisoners, including Leon Trotsky, cleared land around the experimental farm and built the pool in Dickey Park.
World War II (Canada)
During the World War II, the Canadian government interned people of German, Italian and Japanese ancestry, besides citizens of other origins it deemed dangerous to national security. This included both fascists (including Canadians such as Adrien Arcand who had negotiated with Hitler to obtain positions in the government of Canada once Canada was conquered), Montreal mayor Camillien Houde (for denouncing conscription) and union organizers and other people deemed to be dangerous Communists. Such internment was made legal by the Defence of Canada Regulations, passed 3 September 1939. Section 21 of which read:
The Minister of Justice, if satisfied that, with a view to preventing any particular person from acting in a manner prejudicial to the public safety or the safety of the State, it is necessary to do so, may, notwithstanding anything in these regulations, make an order [...] directing that he be detained by virtue of an order made under this paragraph, be deemed to be in legal custody.
Internment of Jewish refugees European refugees who had managed to escape the Nazis and made it to Britain, were rounded up as "enemy aliens" in 1940. Many were interned on the Isle of Man, and 2,300 were sent to Canada, mostly Jews. They were transported on the same boats as German and Italian POWs. They were sent to camps in New Brunswick, Ontario and Quebec provinces where they were mixed in with Canadian fascists and other political prisoners, Nazi POWs, etc.
German Canadian internment During the Second World War, 850 German Canadians were accused of being spies for the Nazis, as well as subversives and saboteurs. The internees were given a chance by authorities to defend themselves; according to the transcripts of the appeal tribunals, internees and state officials debated conflicting concepts of citizenship.