A committee report by the Council of Europe released on Thursday urges the Greek authorities to change their approach towards immigration detention and to ensure that migrants deprived of their liberty are treated with dignity and humanity.
The report of the Council of Europe’s anti-torture committee (CPT) says that the detention conditions in which migrants were held in certain facilities in the Evros region and on the island of Samos could amount to inhuman and degrading treatment.
Migrants continue to be held in detention centers composed of large barred cells crammed with beds, with poor lighting and ventilation, dilapidated and broken toilets and washrooms, insufficient personal hygiene products and cleaning materials, inadequate food and no access to outdoor daily exercise.
Extreme overcrowding in several of the facilities further aggravated the situation. In addition, migrants were not provided with clear information about their situation.
The CPT once again found that families with children, unaccompanied and separated children and other vulnerable persons (with a physical or mental health illness, or pregnant women) were being detained in these appalling conditions with no appropriate support.
The CPT calls upon the Greek authorities to end the detention of unaccompanied children and of children with their parents in police establishments. Instead, they should be transferred to suitable reception facilities catering to their specific needs.
The Council of Europe is an international organization founded in the wake of World War II to uphold human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Europe.