STRASBOURG, 12 JULY 2024
The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has once again called on Greece to reform its immigration detention system and cease pushbacks of migrants. This appeal follows an ad hoc visit to Greece from 21 November to 1 December 2023, during which the CPT examined the treatment of foreign nationals detained under immigration legislation.
The CPT’s report, published alongside the response from Greek authorities, emphasizes the urgent need to improve conditions in Greece’s immigration detention facilities, particularly in the newly-built and EU-funded centres on the Aegean islands. The CPT stresses the importance of treating foreign nationals with dignity and humanity (see the executive summary of the report in English or in Greek).
The primary aim of the CPT’s visit was to assess the treatment of detained foreign nationals in various facilities, including pre-removal detention centres, police and border guard stations, and the newly built Closed Controlled Access Centres on the Aegean Islands of Lesvos, Kos, and Samos.
During the visit, the CPT received numerous credible allegations of physical ill-treatment by police officers in certain police stations in Athens and in pre-removal detention centres such as Amygdaleza, Corinth, and Tavros (Petrou Ralli). Additionally, many foreign nationals continue to endure poor detention conditions, particularly in police stations unsuitable for detentions exceeding 24 hours.
The CPT’s report is particularly critical of the new EU-funded Closed Controlled Access Centres on the Aegean Islands. At the time of the visit, these centres failed to meet the basic reception and protection needs of applicants for international protection. Many detainees were held well beyond the legal time limits without access to legal safeguards, including lawyers and interpreters. Living conditions, especially in the Kos and Samos centres, were described as inhuman and degrading.
Furthermore, the CPT highlighted the excessive security measures and unnecessary barbed wire fencing, deeming these centres unsuitable for accommodating children and vulnerable individuals.
The CPT also received numerous consistent and credible allegations of informal, often violent, pushbacks of foreign nationals across the Evros river or at sea to Turkey. These pushbacks were conducted without considering the individuals’ circumstances, vulnerabilities, or protection needs, and posed a risk of ill-treatment.
In response to the CPT’s report, Greek authorities asserted that the conditions in the country’s police stations and pre-removal detention centres comply with international standards. They also announced plans for large-scale renovation works in three detention centres to improve conditions.
The CPT’s ongoing scrutiny and calls for reform reflect the urgent need for Greece to address the treatment of foreign nationals and ensure compliance with international human rights standards.
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