“If somebody is slow or sick, they hit them with the baton to go back quickly, they were very rude to us.”

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. Based on the description and photographs shared with the respondent, the detention facility in which he was held for reportedly around 20 days was identified as the Hellenic Coast Guard security building in Heraklion. He reported being apprehended by the authorities which he referred to as the police soon after reaching Crete’s shore and being mistreated by the authorities during the arrest. He added that all his belongings apart from his phone were thrown away: “They did not treat us well, they treated us poorly. They took all of our belongings after searching us (clothes, food, etc.) except our phones, and threw them in a bin. [...] The clothes we were wearing we could keep, but the clothes in backpacks were thrown away.” He further explained that his phone along with his passcode to unlock it was taken away by the police, and given back only 25 days after he was transferred to Sintiki in northern Greece. The respondent reported being physically and verbally abused also while in detention in Crete, and being called with derogatory names upon apprehension, such as  “malaka” and “ghaidori”, a Greek word that can be translated with ‘donkey’. Additionally, he mentioned that access to the toilets was restricted and arbitrary, meaning that it was dependent on the “mood” of authorities who at times refused to let people use them. He also pointed out that they would have to be escorted and that “If somebody is slow or sick, they hit them with the baton to go back quickly, they were very rude to us.”

 

The respondent described the facility as a “slaughterhouse”, in which he was detained along with approximately 100 Sudanese and 150 Egyptian nationals, including minors, all in one shared space without any form of separation. Reportedly, some of the minors were taken by the staff of an NGO around 2 weeks after arrival, but he added that “There were minors that did not look that young, but had proof [of their age], but still were kept with us and were transferred with us to Sintiki.” He reported not being allowed to shower for the whole period he was held there: “The same clothes that I came with from Egypt, [while] I crossed from Libya, [which] were full of salt from the sea, I wore them for 20 days, I did not wash it. Also when transferred to Sintiki, we wore the same clothes for a long time, until we got some money to buy [new] clothes.” Additionally, he recounted receiving only half a litre of drinking water and two meals daily, equally small in quantity and of poor quality. He noted that there were only 4 working toilets without any tap water to wash hands or face. Finally, he reported not being presented any official documentation and only receiving limited medical attention from the Red Cross staff at the beginning of his detention, but no other medical follow-ups. As he expressed: “It is very difficult to go to the hospital. If they don’t see you fainting on the floor, losing consciousness or about to die, they will not take you to the hospital.”

 

The respondent reported being transferred to the Special Detention Facility of Serres in Sintiki along with other 400 people after a long boat journey to Athens on what he described to be a boat from the army, and then a bus journey on police vehicles. He explained not being given any document upon arrival in Sintiki, until he completed 3 months of detention, after which his fingerprints were reportedly taken and his asylum application registered. This was reportedly followed by a sequence of rejections and appeals. He further explained about receiving papers progressively prolonging his detention by 50 days at a time, ultimately making the detention periods for most people lasting several months.

 

The respondent reported overcrowded conditions in the facility, especially at the beginning of his stay: “Some containers had like 9-8 beds. But in my container there were 25 people. [...] then they transferred around 200 people from our group to Athens. Now, you will find maximum 10-11 people per container.” He added that they were only provided with blankets, and that the number of beds was insufficient compared to the number of people: “If you have a bed you sleep on it, if you don’t, you sleep on the floor. [...] Now there are still people sleeping on the floor. We see beds outside, behind the fence, we ask the authorities to use them, they tell us ‘we are not allowed to give you these beds’.” The respondent noted that the facility was divided into 4 sections, each hosting approximately 15 to 20 containers. He explained that in the section in which he was accommodated, only 3 (cold-water) showers and 5 toilets were accessible, which would have to be of use to 400 people before some were transferred to Athens, and then approximately 200-250 people. This would often cause long queues and tensions between detainees. He also reported receiving two meals a day in meager portions, and generally described unsanitary conditions and lack of air ventilation or heating system. Reportedly, all people detained would only be supplied with limited food and bin bags, and would have to make use of their own financial means to buy essential goods. As he explained, this often involved relying on people with permission to leave the facility to get cheaper products from outside, including items for personal hygiene. 

 

He reported aggressive attitudes from the facility’s staff whenever people would enquire about detention periods, asylum claims, or receiving medical attention: “If you are asking them how long you will stay, why you are detained, they treat you violently, because they believe you are not just migrants but illegal, a criminal. When asked whether we are [considered] criminals, they say ‘yes, you are a criminal’.” Additionally, he reported difficulties in seeking medical treatment, using the internal clinic and visiting the hospital: “They never let you see the doctor, in very rare cases they do. [...] I never got allergies and rashes, I got this sickness here because it’s dirty, some parts are swollen in my body. [...] It’s obvious that I am sick, but they say ‘no doctor’ or ‘tomorrow’, but they repeat it everyday until forever.” He also added about having to resort to complicated strategies to treat his condition, such as contacting his family in Egypt, sending photos of his skin, and getting medication prescribed from their doctor there, who would also research for products available in Greece. As he further detailed: “Then I will give this prescription to people who can leave the facility, I give them the money and [the name of the] medicine, and they will go and buy it for me. If there weren't these people, I wouldn't get any medicine.” The respondent also described unreliable and inconsistent interpretation services. Reportedly, all these conditions caused significant negative psychological impact on most people. As he explained: “If you ask [even] for small things, you are sick or feeling unwell, they will make it hard for you. If you say anything back to them, they react aggressively, to the point that they will put you on the floor, and other officers would come. Usually [this] enraged people, they will want revenge, because it is unfair, because you ask for your rights [...] [If] you will react back, that is what makes this facility turning bad, people are psychologically bad.”