General Conditions
Hygiene and Condition of Spaces
In accordance with the carceral environment of detention centres
in Greece, the general conditions inside PRDCs was consistently
reported to be poor. Not only are the physical buildings and
furniture broken, dilapidated and bare, but basic facilities such as
washing machines, beds, lighting, toilets and showers are
dysfunctional. Several respondents reported that the number of
people sharing one toilet was exceedingly high, as many were in
need of repair or extremely dirty. For example, in Xanthi,
respondents reported 50 people sharing one toilet, and in
Corinth, one was shared between 48. In addition, the majority of
people we spoke to described that showers were dirty, there was
rarely any hot water, and soap was not provided except for one
bar distributed upon arrival. The Convention Against Torture and
Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
imposes a set of legal obligations on states regarding detention
conditions, which specifically refer to cleanliness, size of space,
access to heating, electricity and water as well as items like
bedding.[216] The ECtHR also takes into account the amount of
sleeping space available to detainees, when considering a
potential violation of Article 3 ECHR.[216] Reports from
respondents indicate that the levels of cleanliness, availability of
material items such as bedding and the size of space available to
detainees does not meet these standards. Among the 46
interviewees in PRDC, six respondents specifically reported that
there was a lack of mattresses provided to all detainees in a cell,
and only 12 individuals indicated that everyone was provided
with a mattress.
Furthermore, detainees are expected to keep the spaces clean
themselves, yet are not provided with cleaning products for the
rooms, bodies or their clothes. Items such as toilet paper, towels
or sanitary products are not provided either, but can be
purchased from a market in certain PRDCs. Resultantly, the
centres are generally dirty, harbouring mould and attracting
infestations of rodents and insects. This was specifically reported
by seven respondents across PRDCs. Finally, respondents
mentioned that in Amygdaleza, the disparity of access to facilities
created tensions, as some individuals would have a functional
shower or air conditioning, and others would not, forcing them to
ask to share creating complex dynamics between detainees. We
assert that being forced to navigate these tensions in order to
gain access to basic facilities is undignified, and respondents
reported on the suffering of some detainees as a result. The state
of these facilities is illustrated by the photos below.
The conditions are worse than
for animals, it's like a stable,
it's not even right to even put
animals in this place.
Khalil, Amygdaleza
The bathroom and toilet it's not
at all.. it's hard to use. Because
the shower didn't work, the
toilet didn’t work, nothing.
Fazal, Corinth
They kept us in cells that were
dirty with no bathroom that
worked,
and
very
bad
conditions. It smelled like urine
and there was nowhere to
sleep. Then they moved us to
this camp, which had container
houses and a big building. We
had to stay in the containers
most of the time. It was an
official camp, but still like a
prison because you can’t leave
and the rules are strict. There
were beds and a bathroom, but
it was small and also not in
good condition.
Meryem, Fylakio
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