Up until October 19th, 2012, any migrant who had been detained in Greece as a result of not having legal papers to stay in the country, could be held for up to three months if they applied for asylum and six months if they did not, this was then extended to one year and 18 months respectively. The process of claiming asylum in Greece, both outwith and within detention centres is an arduous one, with little information available, a lack of lawyers and cases thrown out for spurious reasons, and even without reasons being given. Detention conditions have been condemned by both national and international agencies which have visited the camps, but little changes. There are six main detention centres operating in Greece, with many more migrants held in prisons and in police detention centres. Currently 5,000 are held in the official migrant camps, with an unknown number being held in the 25 alternate facilities which are also being used to house migrants – although officially these are only used as short term measures, some detainees have been held in such facilities for months.. Dendias the Minister for Public Order who oversees the camps has announced a doubling of the current capacity of the official camps to 10, 000, although it should be noted that there are no plans to transfer those held in police stations, ordinary prisons and even shipping containers throughout Greece, but only to increase the total capacity. Officially every detainee should have 4 square meters while held in detention, however many have but a fraction of that, with up to three detainees per square metre, so that the inmates do not even have room to lie down. Men, women and children are held together in some camps and within the supplementary facilities, sans-papiers share cells with convicted criminals. Since the start of Operation Zeus in August 2012, police have been stopping people in the street and demanding their papers, detaining them if their papers are not found in order. No notification is given to their relatives by the police and migrants rely on NGOs to inform others of their detention, including any dependent children they may have, who are left uncared for. In March, Greek “undesirables” were added to those being held without trial in these camps. Access to lawyers or information about the asylum process is limited and even when such information is provided it is provided in Greek, which few migrants read well. Resistance is growing within the migrants with riots and uprisings and currently nearly 2,000 migrants held at these camps now on hunger strike across Greece. But with little contact beyond the razor wire, there is a lack of information about what is actually going on in the camps, but what little news does get out shows a pattern of brutality, squalor, disease, hunger and despair. Issues and Resistance in the Official Detention Camps Amygdaleza – official population: 1,665 Amygdaleza, the first of the official detention centres, opened on the 29th April 2012, with shipping containers used to house the migrants which included unaccompanied children, held in mass dormitories Many have been locked up here for months on end, without access to lawyers and inadequate food and hygiene facilities. Despite this, it is widely reported to be the detention camp with the best conditions for migrants in Greece. On December 1st, 2012, migrants gathered in the yard at Amygdaleza, pulling at the fences and shouting slogans of freedom. The protest was quickly put down by riot police. On January 29th, 2013, Syrian migrants went on hunger strike to demand refugee status, in co-ordination with migrants also held at Petrou Ralli police detention centre. Some of the inmates had been held for up to fifteen months without access to asylum procedures. On February 21st, 2013 600 prisoners joined the hunger strike, in protest at the lengthening of time that sans-papiers could be held in detention. On February 23rd, 2013 riot police were called to the detention centre to violently end the hunger strike, beating the detainees with clubs. Teargas was used in enclosed rooms and and beat the detainees with clubs, resulting in some of the detainees suffering broken bones in their arms and legs. On April 6th 2013, a further mass hunger strike in protest at the conditions of detention in Amygdaleza began. The following day, two of the hunger strikers tried to kill themselves, one with broken glass, the other by drinking a bottle of shampoo. No ambulance turned up for hours. Xanthi – official population: 440 Most of the inmates at Xanthi detention centre have been held since August after being picked up in the first round of the “Operation Zeus” sweep. As with all other centres conditions are deplorable with overcrowding, inadequate food and a lack of sanitory provision. On November 12th 2012, an afghan refugee sewed his lips together in protest at the extension of the length of detention.
Posted on: Mon, 08 Jul 2013 06:55:26 +0000
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