1 Administrative detention in Greece: Findings from the field (2018)
Administrative detention in Greece:
Findings from the field (2018)
Executive Summary
The implementation of measures of administrative detention in Greece constitutes a
widespread practice within the framework of asylum and immigration management,
which affects a significant number of third-country nationals, including those seeking
international protection. The number of persons on whom such measures are imposed is
one of the highest among all EU Member States. Especially following the implementation
of the EU-Turkey Statement and due to the continuous pressure to increase the detention
capacity and the number of returns, the use of deprivation of liberty measures has
increased significantly. At the end of 2017, the number of persons in administrative
detention in Greece was increased by 60% compared to 2016. This trend was also
confirmed in 2018 (32,718 detention decisions compared to 25,810 in 2017).
In 2018, the Greek Council for Refugees (GCR), provided legal aid services to more than
1,200 third-country nationals who remained in administrative detention in the 8 preremoval detention centres (PRDC/PROKEKA) across the country, as well as in police
stations. Legal assistance to third country nationals in administrative detention has been
provided within the context of the implementation of programmes supported by the
UNHCR, as well as the Dutch Council for Refugees, Médecins Sans Frontières, Oxfam, UK
Mercy Mission and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
The Report “Administrative detention in Greece. Findings from the field (2018)” details
the basic findings of GCR concerning the practice of administrative detention in Greece
in the year 2018, as those arise from the experience of GCR and presents indicative cases
supported in 2018. Such findings include structural and longstanding problems related
to the imposition of detention measures in Greece, as well as new practices which raise
issues as to their legality. Inter alia, GCR findings include: