“If we ask them for food they ignore us.”
| Between December 2022 and April 2023 | Thessaloniki | Anonymous | 45.7908691, 15.9976521 | Detention and Reception Reports | Greece | Amygdaleza PRDC | Pre-Removal Detention Centre (PRDC) | no | yes | no | no | no | no | Albania, Somalia, Egypt, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Georgia | Beating (with Batons/Hands/Other), Threats, Use of Isolation | Physical Violence, Overcrowding conditions, Lack of Access to Medical Care, Poor Quality/Quantity of Food and/or Water, Poor Hygiene Conditions, Confiscation of devices, Lack of Adequate Means of Rest | 12 to 18 months |
The respondent, an Egyptian man aged 18-25, was on his way home from work when he, along with four other men, was apprehended in Acharnon square in Athens in early 2023. Despite having a white card, the group, including the respondent, were arrested for not having any documents after receiving a rejection on their asylum claims. The respondent recalled that the men that apprehended the group were wearing civilian clothing. The group was then reportedly taken to a blue bus that was parked nearby, loaded into the vehicle and driven to a detention site, referred to by the respondent as a "police station". The respondent could not recall the name of the police station. The group were kept there for approximately one hour before being relocated to Amygdaleza PRDC.“They have no mercy. They bring anybody who is undocumented even if they are coming back from work. They bring people to the detention centre at random times. It doesn’t matter morning or night, they won’t bring people just in daytime. Whenever they arrest somebody they take them straight away.”
The respondent stated that in Amygdaleza there were approximately 10 containers where people lived, and each container held between five and six people; as there were only four beds per container, one or two people usually end up sleeping on the floor. Reportedly, only one of the containers had electricity. He further described how the beds were of a very poor quality and no one was given blankets. “Even sleep, which is the least thing we should have as people, we can't do because we don't have blankets, the beds are very bad. Some people are allergic. We asked them [the detention officers] for more blankets. They never gave us any.”
The respondent identified the other detainees in the camp as being from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Georgia, Egypt, Somalia, Albania and some other African countries, and stated that most had received a rejection on their asylum application. He further explained that it is very hard to leave the detention centre and that many people had been detained there for over a year. He also noted that some people had paid lawyers between 1000 and 1500 euros to help them with their cases, but nothing has worked. “People are still inside the detention [centre] even though they paid a lawyer. Even the lawyer can’t get them out.” The respondent stated that he was told he would be detained for 18 months.
When asked about the living conditions within the detention centre, the respondent stated that they received two small meals per day; one croissant and a juice for breakfast, and a very small meal with some bread for dinner. “If we ask them for food they ignore us.” He then stated that the toilets are broken and very dirty. “It’s the worst situation I've ever been in.”
Reportedly, there is no access to medical support within the detention centre:
“We had one guy who was very sick and they [the officers] were not responding to us. We were trying to communicate with them but they were not responding, not trying to help. We are not in a good situation inside….There is no psychologist. Even if you are really sick, you have to roll on the ground and try to sound more sick. They don’t take you seriously until you are dying. Other than that, if you are able to walk but you have something wrong with your body they won't believe you.”
The respondent stated that he had witnessed people being forcefully deported while others chose to voluntarily deport themselves back to their countries of origin. Reportedly, there was a translator present in the detention centre that told people if they did not voluntarily return themselves, they would be forcefully deported by authorities. “There was one translator that told us, if you don't go by yourself, the Greek authorities might force you to go back to your country”. The respondent commented that he has never signed any papers he did not understand. He also reported that there was one non-governmental organisation present at the detention centre, but that they did not provide much support, “They just talk to you in a nice way, you know? That’s all. They don't offer you anything. The only thing they say is if you go by yourself you go, if you don't go they will take you anyways, back to your country.” The respondent reported that the NGO staff were wearing civil clothing and also stated that they emphasised that they did not work for the Egyptian or the Greek government.
The respondent reported that if people detained within the camp “did something”, they would be taken to an isolated cell where they would be abused by officers in blue uniforms, “If somebody does something inside, they take him outside. They take his phone, put him in a cell by themselves, and they treat them badly.” When asked what he meant by “something bad” the respondent replied, “if somebody is shouting or something”. The respondent further stated that if conflict arises between detainees, the people that initiated it are taken and separated into two individual cells, they are deprived of food, they have their phones confiscated and they are kept like this for up to two months. He also noted that the time in solitary confinement does not count towards the 18 months detention.