Amnesty International warns about ‘appalling conditions’ in Greek detention centres

Amnesty International has warned that thousands of refugees and migrants are being held “arbitrarily in appalling conditions amid growing uncertainty, fear and despair,” over their fate under the new EU-Turkey refugee deal.

An Amnesty International research team gained access to two highly restricted detention centres on the Greek islands of Lesvos and Chios on the 5th and 6th April, where they explained, some 4,200 people are currently detained.

“Most arrived on the Greek islands after the EU-Turkey deal took effect on 20th March, and some of them have been detained for a fortnight or more,” the group said.

The controversial agreement has meant that 202 refugees have already been forcibly returned from Lesbos and Chios to Turkey, with the aim of softening the refugee crisis.

A report by the Guardian reveals that Afghans and Syrians detained in a camp on the Greek island of Chios have threatened to kill themselves if they are expelled from the EU.

Amnesty international also interviewed 89 refugees, including a large number of vulnerable people, including pregnant women, babies, small children and people with disabilities, trauma and serious illnesses.

“On the edge of Europe, refugees are trapped with no light at the end of the tunnel. A setup that is so flawed, rushed and ill-prepared is ripe for mistakes, trampling the rights and well-being of some of the most vulnerable people,” said Gauri van Gulik, Deputy Director for Europe at Amnesty International.

“People detained on Lesvos and Chios have virtually no access to legal aid, limited access to services and support, and hardly any information about their current status or possible fate. The fear and desperation are palpable.”

 “I escaped Syria to avoid jail, but now I am in prison,” a Syrian man in his late 20s told Amnesty International inside Moria detention centre.

The group add that the decision to move from open reception centres to closed detention camps to hold those who cross the Aegean from Turkey has resulted in thousands of people being arbitrarily detained, in some cases for weeks, while they await news on their asylum applications and future.

According to Amnesty International, Greek army and police exercise strict control over who goes in and out of Moria detention centre on Lesvos, which holds around 3,150 people, and is closed off from the outside world by several layers of fencing topped with barbed wire. It adds that the VIAL detention centre on Chios, which is built around an abandoned aluminium factory, access is also tightly controlled.

“Security concerns linger following fierce clashes that broke out between different nationalities inside the camp overnight on 1 April, prompting more than 400 refugees and migrants to escape,” they said, adding that the majority of those who fled are now sleeping rough in and around the main port in downtown Chios.

“There is little security and scant access to basic services there,” they add.

Amnesty International adds that the automatic detention of all those currently arriving on the Greek islands has led to a failure to take the special circumstances and needs of particular asylum-seekers into account.

“These include torture victims, families with very young children and babies, women travelling alone with children, people with disabilities or in need of immediate health care, pregnant women, and people in need of psychological care.”

The group added that authorities in Moria told Amnesty International that the identification of those with particular vulnerabilities is a priority and a group of 50-100 refugees has already been released to open centres, but a large number remain inside.

“Key issues people complained about in both Moria and VIAL were the poor quality of food, lack of blankets and privacy, and inadequate access to appropriate medical care,” they said, adding that only three doctors are typically available to provide medical care in Moria, while at VIAL, teams providing medical care said onsite health services are only available during limited hours, and there are shortages of medicines and other supplies.

Amnesty International added that fear and uncertainty around the kick-off of the EU-Turkey deal triggered a spike in asylum applications.

“The promised increases in capacity to process these claims, including asylum officers from other EU countries, have yet to arrive in sufficient numbers, resulting in a growing backlog.”

Many of the refugees also complained about the lack of information they received about the asylum process.

“This lack of information is even more urgent given that they are detained throughout their application. Many have received no or incomplete documentation of their registration.”

Amnesty International has urged the Greek and EU authorities to halt mass returns until they can provide a guarantee that “detention is used as a measure of last resort, with alternatives considered”.

They added that all decisions to detain must be based on a detailed and individualised assessment of the necessity to detain and that all detainees must be given the opportunity to challenge the lawfulness of their detention with access to legal aid.

“Access to asylum procedures must be realistic and effective, including that timeframes for lodging supporting materials are appropriate for someone in detention, and access to legal and linguistic assistance should be made available,” they said.

The group also stressed that capacity to process claims must be increased significantly, and that asylum seekers in detention should be provided with accurate legal information about the asylum process and their rights.

“Conditions in detention must be humane and dignified and all children should be immediately released from detention,” they said, adding that special circumstances and needs of particular asylum-seekers must be taken into account.