The move comes after severe criticism from human rights groups calling for the immediate release of children from police cells and detention centres. (2014). Minors in Petrou Ralli centre, for example, were locked in their rooms and offered just 30 minutes of daily outdoor exercise. - all detained persons staying longer than 24 hours are provided with a basic sanitary kit, free of charge; The Guardian reported that the insistence of Greek officials that transferral is out of the question and a growing realisation that any prospect of leaving is diminishing rapidly have helped create an increasingly toxic atmosphere. [67] D. Angeli, A. Dimitriadi, and A. Triandafyllidou, “Assessing the Cost-Effectiveness of Irregular Migration Control Policies in Greece, “Migration and Detention Assessment Report,” Global Governance Program European University Institute (EUI), October 2014, http://cadmus.eui.eu/bitstream/handle/1814/33431/MIDAS_REPORT_2014_10.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y, [68] Greek Council for Refugees (GCR), “Country Report: Greece,” Asylum Information Database (AIDA), European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE), March 2019, http://www.asylumineurope.org/sites/default/files/report-download/aida_gr_2018update.pdf, [69] Amnesty International, “The EU-Turkey Deal: Europe’s Year of Shame,” March 2017, https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2017/03/the-eu-turkey-deal-europes-year-of-shame/; I. Majcher, “Border Securitization and Containment vs. [32], Moreover, AITIMA has also documented the practice of “re-detention”, whereby a person is detained more than once for the period exceeding the maximum permissible period of detention. 2012. Urgently consider alternatives to detention for all migrants, and especially unaccompanied minors and families with children. This page was processed by aws-apollo1 in 0.179 seconds, Using these links will ensure access to this page indefinitely. Court of Justice of European Union (CJEU) In contrast, the maximum length for detaining asylum seekers was reduced in 2016. Moreover, they called for all cells be decontaminated, for a doctor and nurse to be present several hours each day, and—for public health reasons—medical screenings to be carried out upon a person’s admission. effective complaints system regarding alleged ill-treatment by the police. §127:  Ensure that standards in all facilities in which migrants are held meet the standards established by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (“CPT standards”, 2013 revision) addressing specifically the special needs and status of migrants in detention, and by the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners. In addition, detainees are frequently unable to call NGOs because they do not have the means to purchase telephone cards. Greece has failed to implement the decision of the Committee and migrant children remain in detention in Greece. [4], To implement the EU-Turkey agreement, Greece converted reception centres on five Aegean Islands into closed (or “secure”) facilities and adopted a policy of “geographical restriction.” Pursuant to this measure, authorities ceased transferring migrants and asylum seekers to the Greek mainland, forcing them to remain on the island on which they have been registered and undergo a fast-track border procedure. The evolution of immigration and border control policy in Greece and its interdependence with European funding suggests an agenda which has been decided above national legislatures with strong coordination between European political actors and economic interests, while ignoring the human suffering it produces. - the financial and staffing resources of the centre are substantially increased, such that all those persons who are required to undergo the reception and identification procedure can be accommodated and processed in a timely manner, without being previously placed in detention for weeks or months on end; European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) While the pilot project officially ended in January 2018, some islands continue to implement these measures. - all centres are regularly refurbished and maintained as well as disinfected. [78], Besides pre-removal detention centres, Greece also detains non-citizens in other dedicated detention facilities, called “special holding facilities.” These are located in the premises of the Aliens Police Directorate in Thessaloniki and Athens airport. 81/2013. 2010, Macedonia (EU agreement) ); Almost all of the irregular immigrants who come to Greece are employed in the informal sector, come alone without family members, and come with the purpose of finding a job, even when they enter on tourist visas. Greece's left-wing government, elected in January, is releasing detainees from immigration centres and allowing them to move freely around the country. In 2015, the HRC recommended that Greece ensure that detention is proportionate and that alternatives to detention are available in law and implemented in practice. There is a clear upward trend in Greece’s immigration detention activities. The pre-removal centre opened in 2017 and is located next to the Kos hotspot. Each cell is of a considerable size and contains several sets of bunk beds; for instance, cell 1 is equipped with 36 sets of bunk beds while cell 7 features 13 sets. [19] Furthermore, unaccompanied children in Greece also end up in detention due to inaccurate age assessment procedures. On 21 April 2020, 148 asylum seekers at a hotel managed by the IOM tested positive for Covid-19. Responding to the Global Detention Project’s Covid-19 survey, an official from an international organisation said that in Greece no moratorium on new immigration detention orders had been established but that new arrests and detention orders were reduced beginning from late March to mid-May. 21 December 2011. First, the number of detainees exceeds the capacity of the facility and because of overcrowding, non-citizens have been found sleeping on the floors in every available room. Thus, Greek legislation is not compatible with EU law.  decent and hygienic material conditions; Since the EU-Turkey agreement in 2016, a policy of geographical restriction has left large numbers of people stranded on the Aegean islands for months in conditions that observers have denounced as appalling and verging on a humanitarian catastrophe. Seemingly, moreover, the centre did not possess the necessary medical equipment and upon arrival detainees did not undergo a medical screening. Under the March 2016 EU-Turkey deal, it was agreed that all migrants and asylum seekers who arrived on the Greek islands after 20 March 2016 could be returned to Turkey. § 126: Any review body should be independent of the detaining authority. Greece is an important gateway into the European Union for migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees. § 114: The CPT recommends that the necessary basic medication and medical equipment is made available in these establishments. [16] In 2016, Greek authorities launched a pilot project that provided for the detention of asylum applicants who are nationals of a country with a low-recognition rate in terms of international protection for the entire length of their asylum procedure. Gradually, information on Covid-19 (including EODY material) was provided to detainees through Medical Units S.A., the actor providing medical services in PRDCs where available. In addition to these, the Global Detention Project (GDP) classifies a number of reception and identification centres (RIC)—most of which operate as “hotspots” on the Aegean Islands—as secure centres. v. Greece, 53709/11, 7 October 2013. § 124: Alternative and non-custodial measures, such as reporting requirements, should always be considered before resorting to detention. The Prime Minister of the North-Rhine Westphalia, Armin Laschet, offered to take in “1,000 refugees.” 30696/09. detaining UASC. Yet, the legal basis of the release decisions did not make direct reference to Covid-19, nor were “alternatives to detention” programmes (ATD) employed. Committee against Torture [110], Three years earlier, the centre was visited by the CPT who found that rooms were generally in an acceptable state of repair and were equipped with a table, chairs, and cupboard space. ECtHR. 157-170. As a matter of priority, an end should be put to holding unaccompanied children in these establishments. In this article we start to fill this gap, drawing on fieldwork conducted in Athens’ Central Holding Centre for immigrants, Petrou Ralli, in 2012. The CPT urged Greek authorities to ensure a programme of activities (educational, recreational, and vocational) and to set up at least one common association room equipped with a television and games, as well as a multi-faith room. In each block, there are six dormitories, accommodating up to 30 people. protection as well as conditions and immediately transfer them to more suitable shelter § 94: The CPT once again calls on the Greek authorities to ensure that: The non-citizen must receive the information outlining the reasons for their detention in a language they can understand (Law 3386/2005, Article 76(3)) as well as information about their rights (Law 3907/2011, Article 30(2)), and communication with their counsel must also be facilitated (3386/2005, Article 76(3)). The Committee calls on the State party to increase its efforts to implement the specific rights of persons fleeing armed conflict or persecution who arrive on its shores. [123], With regards to health care, the CPT noted that most of the shortcomings observed in 2015 also remained valid in 2016. Yet, our findings raised a lot of significant questions regarding the new function of Poros, given the increase in migratory movements in the area since 2018. According to their field research, the scarce access to hygiene services like running water and soap, together with the cramped living conditions have led to further mental distress due to fear of COVID-19 infection. Greece’s immigration detention practices long spurred concerns and criticisms, including: its resistance to using non-custodial “alternatives to detention”; its systematic detention of children; the issuing of detention orders that lack individual assessments; inadequate conditions of detention; and the use of police stations for immigration detention purposes. Following its 2016 visit, the CPT urged the Greek authorities to take urgent steps to ensure that all irregular migrants currently detained in police stations be transferred without delay to centres specifically designed for this population and staffed by suitably-qualified personnel.[83]. 2009, ECCF, European Convention on Consular Functions However, in 2013 the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants observed that appealing detention orders was “virtually impossible,” in part because orders are written in Greek and appeals must also be submitted in writing and in Greek, but access to an interpreter and lawyer is not guaranteed. As Oxfam and the Greek Council for Refugees reported, in Moria camp reports of sexual harassment, domestic violence, and rape have risen during the lockdown period. [64] Eventually, the public tenders were arranged for the provision of security to three detention centres (Fylakio, Corinth, and Drama) for 14 million EUR a year. Illegal immigrants held at the pre-departure immigration detention facility at Corinth, Greece set the facility on fire following the suicide of a migrant on Saturday last week. [100], Following its 2015 visit to the facility, the CPT recommended that the dormitories accommodate up to four persons rather than 12, and are equipped with tables, chairs, and lockers. 2.12 Domestic monitoring. Within penal institutions, the government announced plans to release up to 1,500 inmates to lessen the chances of transmission of the coronavirus.  all detainees are provided with sufficient quantities of food, water, personal hygiene Activists and NGOs have reiterated their criticism that these lock-down measures have nothing to do with public health concerns given that no confirmed cases of the virus have yet been detected within these settings. By bringing together people working on detention matters and resisting against harmful detention practices, this three-day online conference seeks to contribute to the limited body of evidence about immigration detention in Greece, Italy and the whole of Europe and to inspire debate and action. Aid workers have described the conditions in these “camps” as calamitous. Immigration Detention, Risk … [63], 2.15 Privatisation. Further, the Committee once again calls upon the Greek authorities to take urgent steps present several hours each day. 2010, Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography Criminal Justice, Borders and Citizenship Research Paper No. (Ministry of Public Order and Citizen Protection), (Hellenic Police/ Ministry of Public Order), (Hellenic Coast Guard / Ministry of Mercantile Marine), (Dedicated immigration detention facilities), (International or Regional Bodies (IRBs)), (OPCAT National Preventive Mechanism (NPM)), (National Human Rights Institution (or Ombudsperson) (NHRI)), South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, Additional Sources, Labour & Humanitarian Law, Submission to the Universal Periodic Review: Greece, Immigration Detention in the European Union, Greece Immigration Detention Data Profile (2020), Physical Fences and Digital Divides: Final Report of the Global Detention Project Special Investigation into the Uses of Electronic Media in Today’s Migration Journeys, “Μεταναστευτικό: Μειώθηκαν κατά 63% οι διαμένοντες στα hot spot,” To Thema, 18 January 2021, https://www.protothema.gr/greece/article/1086028/etos-anaktisis-tou-eleghou-tis-metanasteutikis-krisis-to-2020-ola-ta-stoiheia/, International Rescue Committee, “The Cruelty of Containment: The Mental Health Toll of the EU’s ‘Hotspot’ Approach on the Greek Islands,” December 2020, https://www.rescue-uk.org/sites/default/files/document/2389/crueltyofcontainmentreport.pdf, Refugee Support Aegean, “Συνέχιση της κράτησης παρά τις κατάφωρες ελλείψεις στην υγειονομική κάλυψη των ΠΡΟ.ΚΕ.Κ.Α. One aid worker on the island told the Guardian: “The thought that they may be here for even longer now, the sight of the replacement camp and being stranded without proper shelter for days, has, for many, become the tipping point.” §76: The CPT recommends once again that the Greek authorities take vigorous steps to stamp out ill-treatment of foreign nationals deprived of their liberty by the police under aliens’ legislation. In late 2019, Greece's liberal-conservative government of New Democracy, lead by Kyriakos Mitsotakis, announced the creation of 5 closed, pre-departure detention centers for refugees and immigrants, located on the Aegean islands of Leros, Chios, Lesvos, Kos, and Samos. The buildings have two wings, on each of which there are four 33-35 square metre dormitories. Greece has taken steps to allow private security companies to provide guards for immigration detention centres. [20] The CPT urged Greece to establish adequate age assessment procedures which also provide for appeal channels,[21] and the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants recommended that the country “strictly” refrain from detaining children, both unaccompanied and with families, in conformity with the principles of the best interests of the child and of family unity. The centre featured containers for recreation (with tables, chairs, TV, books, and table games) and worship, and detainees could access outdoor space throughout the day. Adopted in 2005 and amended several times, Law 3386/2005 on the Entry, Residence and Social Integration of Third-Country Nationals on Greek Territory originally provided Greece’s principle legal framework governing the entry and departure of non-citizens, including detention. facilities. On 5 June however, HRW reported that asylum procedures had finally restarted. The cells were hot and humid because the air-conditioning was rarely switched on. The submission focuses on human rights concerns relating to Greece’s immigration detention policies. On 7 January 2021, some of the people inside broke their quarantine, went out on the sidewalks and protested. Further, detainees were locked in their cells for much of the day and the delegation found that outdoor exercise was not offered on a daily basis. Amongst various concerns raised by the committee were the facts that children are detained for lengthy periods (exceeding the 45-day-limit set in law); they are often held in police stations; and unreliable age assessment procedures are conducted. § 85; The CPT recommends that the Greek authorities take the necessary steps to ensure that all detained persons who are isolated for medical reasons are provided with at least some meaningful human contact every day (for instance, during outdoor exercise). Less coercive measures should always be considered before resorting to detention, in line with Law 3907/2011 and the EU Returns Directive. §108: the CPT reiterates its recommendation that the Greek authorities take the necessary steps to ensure that unaccompanied minors, who are deprived of their liberty as a last resort, are only held in centres designed to cater to their specific needs, staffed with properly trained men and women and offering a range of ageappropriate purposeful activities. necessary, the relevant legislation should be amended. - each detained person is provided with a mattress, a blanket, and bedding – all clean – and a means of rest, such as a plinth or a bed; [8] The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) has also visited detention facilities on several occasions and the country’s policies prompted more than 20 rulings by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). 2009, Turkey [87] Ekathimerini, “Migrants Injured in Protest Against Detention Conditions in Igoumenitsa,” 24 October 2012, www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite1_1_24/10/2012_467141, [88] Infomobile, “The New Detention Regime in Greece,” 9 September 2012, infomobile.w2eu.net/2012/09/09/the-new-detention-regime-in-greece/; Infomobile, “Afghan Detainee of Xanthi in Protest,” 12 November 2012, infomobile.w2eu.net/2012/11/12/afghan-detainee-in-xanthi-in-protest/. § 108: The CPT recommends that the Greek authorities take steps to remove the rolls of razor blade wire and the wire-mesh fences at Moria and Pyli Pre-removal Centres and review the design and layout of the prison-like cells at Fylakio Pre-removal Centre. In response, the country’s ministries for asylum, health, and civil protection announced in a joint statement that the camp would be closed for 14 days, and that authorities were actively tracing and testing all persons who had come into contact with the individual. The delegation visited several police and border guard establishments in the Evros and Samos regions as well as three immigration detention facilities: Filakio Reception and Identification Centre, Filakio Pre-removal centre in the Evros region, and Malakasa detention camp in Attica. 21 January 2011, European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) Anonymous international organisation official, Global Detention Project’s Covid-19 survey, 21 July 2020. More specifically, the Committee recommends once again that the Amygdaleza Special holding facility no longer be used for the detention of unaccompanied minors; instead, more suitable premises, preferably open, should be found, which meet the above-mentioned requirements for such a facility. As he noted, the conditions of detention were “deplorable, leaving children at heightened risk of abuse, neglect, violence and exploitation.” Unaccompanied minors were locked in police cells 24 hours a day without access to the outdoors for over two weeks and without any recreational or educational activity. The Greek government’s plan was further accompanied by the announcement of a range of measures that presented an important step towards reducing the use of immigration detention in Greece. Further, the CPT recommends that the Greek authorities take steps to ensure that all foreign nationals are able to make telephone calls in all police stations and pre-removal centres and that those detainees without the financial means to pay for them are offered at least one free-of-charge telephone call per month. In addition, substantial  access to their personal belongings and to their mobile phones; - at least one common association room, equipped with television and games, and one multi-faith room are set up. [102] Since December 2014, the centre has lacked the regular presence of a doctor and the Hellenic Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (KEELPNO) ceased visiting the centre in March 2015. After the first positive case on 31 December 2020, all exits from the building were forbidden until 13 January 2021 and 188 further tests were carried out, of which 21 were positive. 2.11 Regulation of detention conditions and regimes. Specifically, immigration detainees should be permitted to establish contact with their legal representatives, family members, and consular authorities on request. Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) [150] The CPT raised concern over the lack of age segregation at the facility, over allegations of physical mistreatment of detainees, and over the absence of a permanent doctor at the facility. 0. nationals detained at Section B of the Moria Centre by providing them with individual v. Greece. The study estimated that immigration detention costs would have risen to 43,200,000 EUR had the country reached an immigration detention capacity of 7,500,[67] (at the end of 2018, pre-removal facilities in Greece had a total capacity of 6,417). To this end, sufficient funding should be made available. In addition, although asylum services were temporarily suspended from 13 March 2020, including registration of asylum requests, asylum interviews and appeals in asylum cases, the asylum service stated that applicants’ cards and residence permits due to expire during the suspension would remain valid. regularly cleaned and disinfected; As well as criticising the use of, and conditions in, the RICs and police stations, the committee also highlighted the situation in detention centres, which was found to be inadequate for children. Some locals also reportedly attacked and prevented migrants from passing through a nearby village after they fled the flames.  medical screening is systematically carried out upon admission; (d) Take the necessary measures to ensure appropriate reception conditions for asylum seekers and migrants; ECtHR. 3.3 Conditions and regimes in detention centres. Yet, Greek legislation does allow for the detention of asylum seekers who apply for asylum while already detained under Law 3386 or Law 3907. Less coercive measures should always be considered before resorting to detention, in accordance with Law No.

Lamp Parts Canada, Messiest House Ever, Athabasca University Podcast, Hamilton Garden Arts Festival Programme, X Wing Missions, Have A Bite Foodpanda, Warrior Makayla Phillips Lyrics, Cherokee Workwear Rib Knit Waistband Cargo Scrub Pants,