4 Table of Contents I. Updates to Legal Framework ...........................................................................................................................8 New Asylum Code .....................................................................................................................................8 II. Updates to Detention Practices in the Kos Pre-Removal Detention Centre .............................................8 A. Important Updates to Detention Policies and Practices ..................................................................8 1. End of Detention Upon Arrival 8 2. Reduced Maximum Period of Detention 9 B. Pathways to Detention and Current Demographics ...................................................................... 10 1. Pathways to Detention: Legal Status of People Detained in the PRDC 10 i. Rejected Asylum Seekers ............................................................................................ 10 ii. Asylum Seekers Charged with Illegal Stay ................................................................. 12 a. Situation ...................................................................................................................... 12 b. Legal Assessment – New Arrivals are Asylum Seekers ........................................... 12 c. Consequences of detention for asylum seekers....................................................... 14 d. Change of practice and Court decision .................................................................... 15 iii. Rejected Asylum Seekers Transferred from Leros..................................................... 15 a. Detention of vulnerable persons due to lack of assessment .................................. 15 b. Detention of unaccompanied minors ...................................................................... 16 c. Rejection of rejected asylum seekers based in wrongful information .................. 16 2. Detention of Vulnerable Persons 16 i. Generally .................................................................................................................... 16 ii. Unaccompanied minors ............................................................................................ 18 C. Updates Regarding Conditions ........................................................................................................ 20 1. Carceral environment and ill treatment by police 21 i. Use of handcuffs ......................................................................................................... 21 ii. Maltreatment by police ............................................................................................. 21 iii. Broken phone cameras ............................................................................................. 22 2. Inadequate food and water 23 3. Lack of Recreational Activities 25 4. Overcrowding 26 5. Inadequate Healthcare 26 i. Deterrence and long waiting times ............................................................................ 27 ii. Dismissiveness by healthcare professionals .............................................................. 28 iii. Lack of interpreters .................................................................................................. 28 iv. Unaffordable and inaccessible private healthcare services ....................................... 29 v. Mental Health Care ................................................................................................... 29 ‘Still detained and forgotten’ – Update on Detention Policies, Practices, and Conditions on Kos 2022/23