31
said my application was rejected for the second
sign.”
time.” Faris confirmed that this was his
The lack of any or correct information
experience as well. He said, “The authorities or
government have not given me any information
[about my detention], and I have not asked anyone
about the reasons of my detention because I don’t
know how to talk to them. I have no way to
communicate with them.”
Three
participants
reported
regarding
legal
procedures
resulted
in
significant distress among clients. As Idris
shared, “I am really suffering from the lack of
information. I have been here for a month and a
half, and no one tells me anything about why I am
here. What I really suffer from however is not
that
while
information was given to them, it was relayed
to them verbally in Greek and without an
interpreter, as there were no interpreters
working in the PRDC. Two others reported
receiving written documents in their mother
tongue but with no explanation of their
contents. In both cases, the written documents
contained no information regarding the
individual’s rights during their detention and
caused further confusion regarding potential
deportation as the document was issued to
people who had requested to apply for asylum
but titled, “For the Foreigner to be Expelled.”
Not only did these documents not include the
reasons behind their detention, but written
documents also pose an additional barrier for
clients who are unable to read.
knowing how long this detention period will be.
How is this allowed?”
2. Misinformation from the
Authorities
In addition to receiving no information
regarding the reasons behind their detention,
other participants reported receiving incorrect
information from the police. Faris explained,
“The police who works in the administration in the
camp told me that I would stay in the detention
centre for 15 days or less. I thought that was it. I said
okay, that’s the situation. I can wait 15 days.”
Faris, who was detained as an asylum seeker,
stayed almost two and half months in
detention, or 42 days, and was only released
after Equal Rights intervened. Adam received
misinformation from the police regarding his
detention multiple times. When Adam was first
Consistent with the last two reports, at least six
taken to the police station, he explained, “A
participants also reported that the police forced
ranked police officer told me that ‘You’ll get the 25
them
no
days paper,’ but that never happened.” After being
In Muneer’s experience, he
taken to the Kos PRDC, he shared, “Two police
was required to sign a paper given to him by the
men took me and brought me here [to the PRDC],
police where, “The only thing they told me after I
and I was asking them, but they said they did not
signed the paper was that I will stay here for six
speak English. I was always asking why I’m here,
months. The paper was not in a language I could
and they said you will be free in a few days, but
understand.” In Ali’s experience, he said, “I was
nothing happened.”
to
sign
interpretation.
55
documents
with
never given any information about detention. They
gave us papers, and when we would ask what was
written, they wouldn’t answer and forced us to
55
Yaseen
recounted
his
experience
when
requesting information from the police about
the reasons behind his detention. He explained,
At least one participant reported signing a paper in the local police station, not in the Kos PRDC.
‘Still detained and forgotten’ – Update on Detention Policies, Practices, and Conditions on Kos 2023/24