News
Greece: Back to Detention
On March 30th a new pre-removal detention center was opened on Kos Island. Similar detention centers are planned on other islands of the Aegean. After the implementation of the EU-Turkey Deal on 20 March 2016, refugees arriving newly to Greece are caught on the islands. News from Refugee Support Aegean (RSA), implementing partner of PRO ASYL.
The first 55 refuÂgees were alreÂaÂdy transÂferÂred to the new cenÂter on Kos Island. Up to 150 refuÂgees and migrants will be locked up in this cloÂsed camp situaÂted next door to the overÂcÂrowÂded hotÂspot of Kos, wheÂre alreÂaÂdy more than 810 refuÂgees are stuck.
„DetentiÂon cenÂters – we’Âre finisÂhed with them“, forÂmer DepuÂty InteÂriÂor MinisÂter GianÂnis PanouÂsis said back in FebruÂary 2015, when the newÂly elecÂted governÂment was still planÂning to improÂve the conÂdiÂtiÂons for refuÂgees in Greece. In a U‑turn, extenÂsiÂve detentiÂon and deporÂtaÂtiÂon now seeÂmingly becoÂmes a workabÂle soluÂtiÂon for the governÂment. The SYRIZA led governÂment with the supÂport of the EU opens new detentiÂon faciÂliÂties dediÂcaÂted to deporÂtaÂtiÂons on the Greek islands. „WitÂhout cloÂsed camps second insÂtance decisÂiÂons canÂnot be impleÂmenÂted”, was the cyniÂcal stateÂment of MigraÂtiÂon MinisÂter GianÂnis MouÂzÂaÂlas only some hours after a refuÂgee in the HotÂspot Vial on the island of ChiÂos set himsÂelf on fire. Last week refuÂgees in LesÂbos Island proÂtesÂted against the feared start of mass deportations.
More than 2,194 refuÂgees and migrants are alreÂaÂdy detaiÂned in the six detentiÂon and pre-remÂoval cenÂters currÂentÂly exisÂting in mainÂland Greece (AmygÂdaÂleÂza, Corinth, Paranesti/Drana, XanÂthi, FylaÂkio /Orestiada, Petrou RalÂli AliÂens DirecÂtoÂraÂte) someÂtiÂmes for more than six months and under inhuÂman and degraÂding detentiÂon conÂdiÂtiÂons. About 10,000 are being held on the AegeÂan islands witÂhout any posÂsiÂbiÂliÂty to move on to the mainland.
Arbitrary detention
In public disÂcourÂse repreÂsenÂtaÂtiÂves of the MinisÂtry of MigraÂtiÂon descriÂbe the future detaiÂnees to be mainÂly “criÂmiÂnals” or “trouÂbleÂmaÂkers” tryÂing to jusÂtiÂfy the furÂther expanÂsiÂon of detentiÂon meaÂsuÂres with secuÂriÂty conÂcerns. In fact, in the new detentiÂon faciÂliÂties on the AegeÂan Islands theÂre will be mainÂly thoÂse detaiÂned, whoÂse asylÂum claims were declared inadÂmisÂsiÂble, or which are rejecÂted in first and second insÂtance in order to faciÂliÂtaÂte and secuÂre the planÂned fast deporÂtaÂtiÂons to TurÂkey. The legal frameÂwork defiÂning the grounds for detentiÂon of refuÂgees and migrant, leaÂves many optiÂons for arbiÂtraÂry detentiÂon, i.e. under the geneÂral grounds that perÂsons who are alleÂged of “law-breaÂking conÂduct” or “conÂsideÂred to appÂly mereÂly in order to delay or frusÂtraÂte return“ can be detaiÂned. TheÂse preÂreÂquiÂsiÂtes open up the posÂsiÂbiÂliÂty to arbiÂtraÂriÂly detain almost every proÂtecÂtion seeÂker on the islands.
Some of theÂse admiÂnisÂtraÂtively detaiÂned proÂtecÂtion seeÂkers who are to be transÂferÂred to the new pre-remÂoval cenÂtres in the near future have alreÂaÂdy been impriÂsoÂned for weeks or even months in the hotÂspots or the conÂgeÂsted poliÂce staÂtiÂons on the island under inhuÂmaÂne conÂdiÂtiÂons, most of them witÂhout any court decisÂiÂon. At the same time, througÂhout 2016, more than 1,600 proÂtecÂtion seeÂkers were transÂferÂred from the islands to pre-remÂoval detentiÂon cenÂters on the mainÂland. After Kos, also on Samos Island a new detentiÂon and deporÂtaÂtiÂon centÂre will open soon. Local soliÂdaÂriÂty groups alreÂaÂdy report of poliÂce raids and many arrests. In the meanÂtiÂme, on ChiÂos Island a pilot proÂject is runÂning in order to fasÂten up regisÂtraÂtiÂon, asylÂum proÂceÂduÂres and detention.
“Beyond any reasonable limit and any proportionality”
The new OmbudsÂmen AndreÂas PottÂakis declared in a recent interÂview, that the return to a poliÂcy of admiÂnisÂtraÂtiÂve detentiÂon is highÂly proÂbleÂmaÂtic in the light of human rights proÂtecÂtion. „In fact, in comÂbiÂnaÂtiÂon with the delay of the examiÂnaÂtiÂon of asylÂum appliÂcaÂtiÂons, we fear that it will lead to an unacÂcepÂtaÂble extenÂsiÂon of detentiÂon duraÂtiÂon beyÂond any reasonable limit and any proportionality.“
DetentiÂon conÂdiÂtiÂons in Greece have been denounÂced by interÂnaÂtioÂnal NGOs and the EuroÂpean ComÂmitÂtee for the PreÂvenÂtiÂon of TorÂtuÂre (CPT) as inhuÂmaÂne and inaÂdeÂquaÂte. Greece has been conÂdemÂned dozens of times in the past by the EuroÂpean Court for Human Rights for the inhuÂman and degraÂding conÂdiÂtiÂons in detentiÂon centers.