38 GREECE IRREGULAR MIGRANTS AND ASYLUM-SEEKERS ROUTINELY DETAINED IN SUBSTANDARD CONDITIONS been apprehended.142 Some police stations have cells designated specifically for irregular migrants, who may be held there pending deportation. However, irregular migrants and asylum-seekers may also be detained in cells designated for those arrested for criminal offences.143 Asylum-seekers returned to Greece under the Dublin Regulation are held in the detention area of Athens airport police station.144 Irregular migrants and asylum-seekers apprehended in the airport trying to leave the country using false documents are also detained there. Although borderguard and police station cells have been designed for short periods of detention, the lack of available space in immigration detention centres has led to irregular migrants and asylum-seekers being detained there for prolonged periods under poor conditions. In September 2008, the Council of Europe Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) concluded that “detention facilities in police and borderguard stations are designed to hold persons for short periods only and should never be used for prolonged detention. Even for periods of detention of a few days the material conditions, hygiene and access to medical care are unacceptable and call for radical improvement.145 Over the past year, Amnesty International has visited various borderguard and police stations and has also spoken to irregular migrants and asylum-seekers detained there. The descriptions below illustrate some of the concerns these visits raised. 5.2.1. SOUFLI BORDERGUARD STATION, EVROS Amnesty International delegates visited the Soufli borderguard station in Evros, in June 2009. More than 40 men and women were kept separately in two cells, but each cell was very small. There was overcrowding and not enough mattresses for everyone. During the organization’s visit, men and women shared one of the two toilets because the other one was broken. The detainees said that they had no opportunity for outside exercise. This was confirmed by the police officers in charge, who said that this was because the station did not have a surrounding fence and the migrants could attempt to escape. Some of the detainees also made allegations of ill-treatment by guards. 5.2.2. FERRES BORDERGUARD STATION, EVROS During their visit to the Ferres borderguard station in June 2009, delegates observed severe overcrowding and very dirty cells. Detainees reported that the overcrowding resulted in them having to sleep in a sitting position, or in the toilets. In addition, the number of mattresses was insufficient and they were in very poor condition. Natural light and ventilation were insufficient. The delegates received allegations by detainees that there were scorpions, insects and snakes in the cells. Delegates saw signs of insect bites on the hands and legs of some of the individuals. There was a very small area for outside exercise.146 While the police officer in charge informed Amnesty International that a doctor was assigned Amnesty International July 2010 Index: EUR 25/002/2010