"I left a community for a better community but it turned out they are no different"

The respondent is a man in his 20s. He arrived on Samos at the end of 2024. His leg was amputated, and he is wearing a prosthetic that does not fit him well. He reports an incident that took place while staying in the Samos CCAC. 

The respondent explains that on December 30th, 2024, he went to the city centre with four friends. When returning to the Samos CCAC in the evening, around the time it was getting dark, he recalls that they were expected to wait outside in line outside the entrance gates before they could enter. The respondent estimates that the wait would have taken around 30 to 60 minutes. He states that because his leg is amputated, he is physically unable to stand for an extended period. “I usually cannot stand for more than five to ten minutes. Past that time my leg would be very, very painful. I would not be able to stand.” The respondent remembers that he told this to a man he refers to as a “police officer” and later as “guard” standing behind the entrance gate, and asked if he could enter directly. Following this, that man opened the door, came outside, answered “No, go back,” and punched him with a closed hand in the chest. 

“It was very painful.” 

When asked about this, the respondent explains that he had to explain his situation to the “guard”  with his limited English knowledge, as there were no interpreters present at the entrance.  He also recalls that the man he refers to as “guard” said other things, but he did not understand them, as the man spoke quickly in English. The respondent continues to explain that interpreters are only present during the asylum interview - neither inside or outside the Samos CCAC, nor at the hospital. 

When asked about the appearance of the person he referred to as “police officer” and “guard”, the respondent says he remembers that the man was in a uniform. “I would say it was blue. Because most of them wore blue uniforms.” The respondent does not know the exact role of the person; he would see him at the entrance and sometimes in the kitchen. 

After being shown pictures of different types of uniforms worn by authorities on Samos, the respondent identifies the uniform as either that of the Hellenic Police or the Hellenic Coast Guard. He then states that he remembers the word “Police” being written on it. The respondent does not recall the man wearing a weapon. He states that the man he is describing was very tall and big, and wore glasses. “There was only one person in the camp with this stature.”

The respondent continues to report that the punch was very strong and caused him to fall backward. “There were people behind me and I fell on top of these people, but if they wouldn’t have been there I would have been thrown for four metres.”

The respondent recalls that everyone who was standing outside the entrance gate at that moment witnessed the incident. When asked, he estimates that it must have been over 20 people. Reportedly, nobody reacted, including his friends.

After being held upright by the group of people behind him, the respondent remembers moving to sit on the ground next to the ATM in front of the entrance to the Samos CCAC. He recalls sitting there for around 30 minutes, while the “guard” let people in one by one.

“I was the last person to enter, he didn’t even consider my circumstances.”

When asked about it, the respondent recalls that he did not speak to this person when he was finally let in, and he did not have any other future interactions with him, aside from seeing him again at the entrance or in the kitchen when receiving meals. 

The respondent states that he did not sustain any injuries from the hit, but the pain in his chest lasted for three to four hours. When asked about this, the respondent shares that he would have wanted to report the incident but did not know where to go or whom to report it to. He reports that he mentioned the incident in his asylum interview, but states that there was no reaction to his account. 

When asked how he felt at the moment of the incident, the respondent shared: 
“It was a big disappointment for me because I left a community for a better community but it turned out they are no different.”