33
police don’t talk to me. I once asked them outside
contact information from other individuals in
the container why I was here, and they didn’t even
detention. As Yaseen explained, “I didn’t request
answer me, so I didn’t even try to ask for a lawyer.”
any legal services from the authorities, but the
Similarly,
other guy got the number of your organization, and
police
participants’
continued
requests
for
to
dismiss
information
that’s how I’ve gotten in contact with you.”
regarding legal services and/or information
Due
regarding the length of their detention and the
participants reported great difficulty in
status of their asylum procedure. Specifically,
obtaining a lawyer. Haytham shared, “It was not
at least two participants reported being
easy [to get a lawyer]. There was no lawyer in
dismissed by the police when asking for
detention, and no one to help me. It was good I
assistance with a lawyer; two additional
found you...It was also hard to contact you
individuals reported the police dismissing
organisation because I don’t have a phone.” Jamal
them when discussing their asylum and or
echoed this statement: “It was difficult to get
detention case; two additional participants
legal assistance. I was contacting lawyers for a
reported not asking the police for assistance
month.”
because of a lack of a common language; and
to
the
aforementioned conditions,
the police for assistance because he was
B. Limited Access to Lawyers and
Legal Aid
unaware that he had the right to request a
During this reporting period, little changed on
lawyer. As Brian experienced, “When I came here
Kos regarding the number of lawyers who
[to the Kos PRDC], I asked the police for a lawyer.
specialize in asylum and refugee law and
They told me that they would give me a number,
provided free legal aid to clients in detention.
but until today they have never given me a
Three NGOs — including Equal Rights —
number.” Muneer shared, “The only time I asked
typically employed a total of five Greek lawyers
about a lawyer was the time they told us that they
during the reporting period. However, the total
would break the cameras on our phone. At that
number of lawyers did sometimes fluctuate.
one additional participant reported not asking
time I asked if we could talk to a lawyer...and they
told us there is no lawyer here, but you can talk to
other lawyers.”
As shared in previous reports, the limited
number of lawyers on Kos have been unable to
meet the needs of asylum seekers for
As such, individuals in the Kos PRDC have a
individuals
difficult time obtaining legal services, having to
considering that the number of asylum seekers
rely on their phone to contact lawyers as legal
who arrived on Kos dramatically increased in
providers have limited access to the Kos PRDC.
2023. As mentioned earlier in the report,the
To enter the PRDC and to meet with a client,
number of asylum seekers in the CCAC and RIC
Equal Rights must have the name and
topped 4,000 individuals by 9 December 2023.
information of the individual, putting the onus
With only five NGO lawyers, this created an
on clients to contact the organization. At least
impossible ratio of approximately 800 asylum
eight participants reported receiving our
seekers per lawyer.
58
in
detention,58
Detained and Forgotten, supra note 1, at 26; Still Detained and Forgotten, supra note 2, at 32-33.
‘Still detained and forgotten’ – Update on Detention Policies, Practices, and Conditions on Kos 2023/24
especially