the room for you, but we cannot see it. We only see darkness. If we go outside there is the police. In the night there are the fascists. When they get drunk they come close to this area Incident 1: “Fifteen days ago, six “commandos” caught me and beat people. You know, the police and the inside the port in the afternoon. I had tried to “commandos” have even torn up minors’ paenter in a truck and leave for Italy. I was arres- pers, so that they could freely beat them. When ted. They handcuffed me. Then they brought I think of the police beating us, I feel as if we me to a remote place and started beating me do not count as human beings. They do not see all together, with their batons while kicking us as human beings. The police are doing very and punching me, too. I was not able to move bad things to us. Before coming to Greece, I befor two weeks. They took my mobile phone. lieved that there is culture here, now I underThey were beating me for a long time and they stand that the police are bad everywhere.” were saying bad words. When they stopped beating me, they washed their hands with water Incident 1: in order to clean them from my blood. I was “The first time I came to Patras (three months detained for one day and then transferred to ago), it was noon. I was close to the factory and Athens where I was released. While in deten- a police motorcycle arrived. One officer was rition, I could not make any phone calls, I could ding the motorcycle and another came on foot. not communicate with the outside world. I did They arrested me and pushed me in the “dolnot even drink water or get any food. I was not mush” [expression used by the migrants to describe the police van] where they beat me up. brought to the doctor. I just slept on the floor.” There is this bald police officer. Whenever he comes here he lifts his helmet so that we reIncident 2: “Another time, when the “commandos” caught cognize him. Everybody runs away. When they me inside the port, they forced me to jump in pushed me in the “dolmush” the officer driving the cold water and stay there until I was or- the van was sitting in his seat. The other ofdered to come out. Then they beat me and let ficer was punching and kicking me all over my me go. I have seen that many times, when they body except in the face for almost ten minuorder people to jump into the sea, they throw tes. They were shouting at me: ‘ante gamisou, stones in the water, ordering them to dive and ai sto diaolo, tha se gamiso’ (fuck you! Go to hell! I will fuck you!). On that day they arrescatch them.” He shows us marks on the left side of his chest. ted people from different countries. We were When we ask him if he visited a doctor after that fifteen in the “dolmush”. After beating me up, incident, he replies, that they would not have treated they asked me if I had any documents. I showed them the deportation order, which they took him anyway. away from me.” 4.15. A., from Morocco 60 4.16. M.A., from Afghanistan 61 M.A. has no valid documents. He has never entered the reception system here in Greece. “I never had papers and I never want them. Those who hold a “pink card’ have nothing more than me! It has been three months now I am in Patras and eight months I am in Greece. When I arrived to Patras, the new port had just opened a month before. Patras is a black place. A terrifying one! Now (at noon) there is a light in Incident 2: “In the beginning of March (2012) the “commandos” found me hiding close to the trucks waiting to embark on the ship. I was trying to hide under a truck along with a friend of mine. They caught us and handcuffed us. It was late midnight and dark. They ordered us to walk and the two “commandos” followed us on their motorcycle and started kicking us while in motion. They led us to the Check-In point. We stood next to a wall, where nobody could see us. A second motorcycle arrived with 60 Interview held on April 3, 2012 in Patras 61 Interview held on April 2, 2012 in Patras 38 “Every night I am dreaming of leaving Greece!” “He ordered me to enter the garbage bin and close the garbage bin lid over me.” two other “commandos”. They beat us up for about half an hour. There was also a woman from the Check-In point [Check-In staff belong to the uniformed coast guard] watching the whole scene. They beat me with their batons on my right arm and shoulder. I was trying to 62 protect my head. When I fainted from the beatings, they kept on beating me up. Then they asked for our mobile phones, our documents, “I was in the port, near the rocks. It was 20-25 shoes, jackets and cigarettes. They insulted us days ago. Two “commandos” found me and a lot. I do not want to repeat the words they beat me with an electric baton on my left said to us. They kept on beating us for another shoulder. It felt like a bomb in my heart. I felt half an hour. It was cold and rainy. They even dizzy and fell in the sea. Five days ago, anotook off their helmets and beat us with them ther one was beaten on his head by the “comin our heads. Then they just let us go. It was mandos” with this electric baton. He had to be almost impossible for me to walk back to the recovered. Now he is so afraid that he has left place I sleep. My friend was also badly beaten. the place.” They even pulled off his hair and made fun out of it. Since that day, I never went back to the port. I am afraid. It was Sunday and there were no people around.” 4.17. M., from Morocco 62 Interview held on May 12, 2012 in Patras 39