- 31 b. Special detention facilities for irregular migrants and police holding facilities i. introduction 61. The CPT’s delegation carried out follow up visits to the special detention facilities for irregular migrants in Filakio, Mytilini and Venna, and the police holding facilities in Athens (Athens Airport, Petrou Ralli Street) and in Piraeus. The state of affairs in these facilities continues to be a cause for great concern. The situation has been further exacerbated by an increase in the length of detention in many facilities as compared to situation found in 2008; for instance, in 2008, irregular migrants were often only held for a few days in the Mytilini Special detention facilities for irregular migrants (“Pagani”) due to the serious overcrowding in that centre. However, in 2009 the policy of early release had been abandoned and the CPT’s delegation met migrants who had already spent over two months in Pagani. 62. In the course of the 2008 visit, the CPT’s delegation had visited Filakio, Pagani and the Petrou Ralli Street Police Holding Facility. In its report on that visit, the CPT made recommendations as regards detention conditions, staffing, regime and medical care. However, it appears that only in the Petrou Ralli centre has some progress been made as regards the conditions of detention and the provision of medical care. As for the Piraeus and Venna centres, they were found to be suffering from exactly the same deficiencies as those identified during the 2007 visit, and the conditions at the Athens Airport Holding Areas had deteriorated further from those found in 2005. 63. As detention periods of up to six months have become the norm (for some migrants extendable to up to one year) following the entry into force of the amendment to the 2005 Aliens Act in July 2009, the need for the Greek authorities to address the structural deficiencies as regards the holding facilities for irregular migrants has become even more urgent. In order to create acceptable conditions for such lengthy detention, substantial investments will have to be made, not only as regards the accommodation, but also in respect of staffing, maintenance, medical care, regime and hygiene.