Introduction In September 2021, the first Greek Closed Controlled Access Centre (CCAC) opened on Samos. Built in an isolated location, 8km from the nearest town, its architecture mimics the dehumanising infrastructure of prisons. Presented as a solution to the disastrous conditions in which people seeking safety had previously been subjected to on the Greek hotspots, CCACs have since opened on four other Greek islands, with the structure being presented as an example of a more humane approach to migration by many across Europe. However, when a respondent who had been accommodated in both the old camp and the new Samos CCAC was asked which he preferred, the answer was immediate: I prefer the old camp. I had small freedoms there. Sure, we didn’t have a container or kitchen, but we managed ourselves then. Restrictions placed on asylum seekers in the prison-like structure not only have a negative impact on their daily lives but also violate their human rights, as will be illustrated throughout the report. When arriving to the CCAC, people are automatically de facto detained for up to 25 days. After, they are subjected to intensive surveillance and security infrastructure including: multiple layers of barbed wires, 24/7 CCTV watched from the control centre in Athens, drone monitoring, police (including riot police), private security, airport-style security upon entry and exit, check-points throughout the structure and a strict curfew. Such levels of surveillance and control, as well as the intense restrictions of their freedom of movement have an impact on the mental and physical well-being of people seeking safety. Page 3