EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 2004 2009 {LIBE}Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Brussels, 2 July 2007 Report from the LIBE Committee Delegation on the Visit to Greece (Samos and Athens) Rapporteur: Jeanine HENNIS-PLASSCHAERT 1. Purpose and timing A delegation of 9 Members of the European Parliament visited Greece (Samos and Athens) on 14 and 15 June 2007. Head of Delegation was Mrs Martine ROURE. See list attached. The purpose of the visit was to gather information and ascertain directly the situation regarding the reception of asylum seekers and (ir)regular migrants in Greece, to verify the conditions of the centres, as well as to exchange views with representatives of civil society and government authorities. The visit to Greece followed similar trips to Italy (Lampedusa), Spain (Ceuta and Melilla as well as the Canary Islands), France (Paris) and Malta. The visit by the delegation focused on 3 different closed centres, two on the island of Samos (the old Centre in the middle Vathy and the new Centre) and one in Athens (the ‘Petrou Ralli Special Holding Facility’). Amongst others, the delegation met with: ▪ the Minister of Public Order, Mr Vyron POLIDORAS, ▪ the Minister of Interior, Public Administration and Decentralisation, Mr Prokopis PAVLOPOULOS, ▪ the Greek Ombudsman, Mr Giorgios KAMINIS ▪ the President of the Institute of Immigration Policy (IMEPO), Mr Alexandros ZAVOS, ▪ the Prefect of Samos, Mr Manólis KÁRLAS as well as with several officials/local authorities from the island of Samos and Athens. Finally, the delegation also met with a series of representatives of various organisations: ▪ Amnesty International PV\675423EN.doc EN PE 392.010v02-00 EN