"[I]t looked like a morgue, like where they store dead bodies"

The respondent is an Egyptian national who reported arriving in Crete from Libya in August 2025 and was subjected to the suspension of asylum applications. Reportedly, he spent 28 hours at sea. He explained: “[It was] very hard, the engine stopped two times. Once near the Libyan water. We were waiting for rescue, but nobody came and we kept going.” The respondent recounted that upon arrival on the shore of Crete, he and his fellow travellers reached a touristic area on the coast and were advised to contact the police and the Red Cross. They were reportedly apprehended by the authorities the day after, and their phones along with other belongings were taken away. They were then reportedly transferred to a detention facility which, based on the description and photographs shared with the respondent, was identified as the Hellenic Coast Guard security building in Heraklion.

 

The respondent reported ill-treatment at the hands of the authorities in Heraklion. As he explained: “When the police came, they searched us aggressively, took away our phones, chargers and powerbanks and put them in plastic bags. They forced us on big buses and brought us to quarantine.” He also added that they were forced to take off the top half of their clothing and were promised they would receive more clothes, however this promise was not met. The respondent reported being detained along with 67 people, mainly Egyptian and Sudanese nationals, who were at first placed in a large open space, and then divided in smaller rooms in the upper floor of the building. He noted the presence of “many children” and unaccompanied minors already held in the facility upon his arrival, who were placed in the same shared spaces as everyone else. 

 

Reportedly, the aggressive behaviour from the authorities intensified while in detention: “We were treated very violently.” The respondent described a particular officer with seemingly greater authority who used derogatory language towards the detainees: "He was telling us ‘This is not your country, you're not welcome here’.” This violence reportedly led some detainees to start a hunger strike for 3 days - which resulted in some people fainting and being taken to the hospital. The respondent explained that this was met with verbal abuse by the same officer mentioned above. He recalled these words: “you guys think that you are smart doing this, but it doesn’t matter, it doesn't change anything, we will throw the food anyway, go back to your country’.” The respondent added that this aggressive behaviour came as a surprise to him and other fellow people detained: “I heard that in Greece they respect different religions and beliefs, so I was surprised they were criticising me and treating me this way. [...] I thought that in Libya it was horrible, but then it was worse because I thought that when I would get to Greece, I would get human rights.”

 

He described the facility as “very disgusting, there were insects everywhere, it looked like a morgue, like where they store dead bodies. They would only feed us once a day, there were like 17 hours between the meals.” He added that they were only provided with a bottle of water during the one daily meal and that they were not allowed to shower for the whole duration of his stay. As he shared: “We did not shower for 20 days in Libya, then 16 days in Crete, to the point that lots of people got scabies and skin problems.” The respondent reported a lack of air conditioning despite the summer heat and only being given “dirty blankets with insects” but no mattresses or beds. As he detailed: “Every 3 people would sleep on one blanket, and will try to cover themselves with another one. To try to save some water, we would fast Monday and Thursday, and would pierce the bottle to save some water. Even for praying, water is required, but we would pray without water. I thought that Libya was the worst violence I’d ever encountered, but when I came to Greece, I realised it was worse.”

 

The respondent reported that the doctors, who attended the facility once a week, would only be able to provide generic analgesics, such as paracetamol, and no specialist treatment: “Some people had serious problems, they could not be treated.” He reported the presence of a Syrian interpreter, whose service was offered by an NGO who he identified as the Red Cross.

 

The respondent explained that he was transferred to the Special Detention Facility of Serres, in Sintiki, after being held for 15 days in Crete. He reported that the clothes that were promised to them were never supplied, neither in Crete, nor in Sintiki. He also relayed about insufficient food provisions, insufficient distribution of items for personal hygiene, and unaffordable prices of the products sold in the facility. This reportedly resulted in him and others having to rely on the help of Sudanese asylum seekers who were able to leave the facility to buy essential goods. Reportedly, this practice was later prohibited, meaning detained people were forced to bribe the police in order to bring such products into the facility. As no financial support was provided to the respondent, he explained having to rely on the help of a friend who sent him some money. Additionally, he reported unsuitable facilities to accommodate the needs of a large number of residents, consisting of 4 working toilets for around 750 people. He further explained that the limited number of bathrooms was the source of regular tensions between detainees. The described the facility as being divided in 4 sections, each presenting containers hosting between 6 and 9 people. As he added: “Some people sleep on the beds and some people sleep on the floor. Some people sleep on blankets, some people sleep on mattresses, and some people sleep on beds without mattresses.”

 

The respondent reported that he was eventually able to apply for asylum in Sintiki, and that his claim was rejected. He highlighted a clear lack of information provision from the authorities in the facility, and reported not being explained the content of the many papers he was distributed. He voiced his frustration regarding the lengthy period of detention, as well as the lack of information about his case: “They keep renewing the days I have to wait [in detention]. [I thought that] after these 30 days it’s over, but they keep giving me new dates, another 15, 30 days. [...] I don’t understand why, people say it is the new law.”

 

The respondent reported feeling discriminated against in Sintiki. He explained that following a violent episode between some Egyptian nationals and the police in November 2025, he felt treated differently thereafter despite not being involved in the incident. In his words: “I feel like I’m being discriminated against. [It’s] not [that] just because I’m Egyptian [I would] throw stones at them. [...] Every person is treated differently. There’s no human rights, it’s beyond racism.” He further expressed his regret for unfair treatment by the authorities, including the lack of information: “I should be able to access the outside world. They do not give any reason why I’m here. They keep extending my detention, but not giving me any reason. It feels like prison.” He reported one NGO group visiting once a week, but not much results stemming from these visits, while also not being able to access legal assistance due to its high costs. He concluded the interview by sharing about his family commitments and his impossibility to fulfill them due to such circumstances: “My wife and kids are relying on me. I did not come all the way from Libya to Greece by boat just for tourism, I really have a big problem in my country. The Greek Government has no mercy. [...] I know many people crossing this horrible way, all the way from Africa to Europe. They’re going through a lot of problems, this is how they are treated, this is not fair. [...] I'm not here to break the law, I’m trying to get a job and have a life.”