68 overcrowding and the mistreatment of asylum seekers on Samos. This includes a complaint brought by I Have Rights that concerned a group of men who were forced to sleep outside on beds or in a makeshift shelter in the outside area of the CCAC in November and December 2023. It is therefore generally suspected that the capacity was increased on paper only. To date, people in the CCAC remain required to sleep in spaces such as kitchens and 70 February 2024, 600classrooms, without beds, mattresses, proper bathrooms, or privacy. In 700 people were living in common areas such as the restaurant and administrative buildings. For example, one of IHR’s clients reported that “pregnant women, children, and the elderly sleep on the floor, and the privacy of families is not taken into account, as men, women, and children from 72 different families sleep in one large room”. To reduce the CCAC population, the administration implemented an unlawful practice of lifting applicants’ geographical restriction under the condition that the applicants resign from their rights to receive any type of material reception conditions. 73 IHR’s clients reported waiving their rights due to unbearable living conditions in the CCAC. After their transfer and the removal of reception conditions, many were unable to support themselves. An IHR client reported, "I don't have any medicine. I split the pill in half. So that the medicine is enough for me for another Friday". In addition, the authorities do not inform applicants of the legal consequences of their resignation, and applicants are often unable to receive a date for their asylum interview due to absence of an official address and thus, incapacity to establish jurisdiction between Regional Asylum Offices (RAOs).74 As a result, they even consider returning to the CCAC due to the extreme difficulty of living outside of it with no support: "I hate the camp, but I think about it because in a week, if I don't get a job, my situation will become difficult". Following a joint complaint led by IHR, the Greek Ombudsman raised questions with the RIS as to the legality of this practice which is directly contrary to the legal framework set by Directive 2013/33/EU and Law No. 4939/2022 which obliges the state to provide access to medical care and to basic means that secure a decent standard of living. 75 ______ (2) Mainland Reports published by RSA, Pro-ASYL, GCR, MIT and RLS in 2024 and 2023 document the substandard conditions in mainland camps and the widespread isolation of residents from _________________________________ _________________________________ 68. The Greek Ombudsman. 2024. The Challenge of Migratory Flows and Refugee Protection - Reception Conditions and Procedures. Available at: https://www.synigoros.gr/en/category/default/post/ek8esh-or. 69. See Annex 8 for photos of the makeshift shelter and men forced to sleep outside in the Samos CCAC in December 2023. 70. Ibid.; Refugee Support Aegean et al. Joint Statement. 2024. Not again in 2024: Call for upholding human rights in the Samos Closed Controlled Access Centre. Available at: https://ihaverights.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Joint-Statement-Samos.pdf. 71. Greek National Commission for Human Rights. 2024. Επιτόπια επίσκεψη ΕΕΔΑ στη Σάμο: Μη σύμφωνες με τα βασικά πρότυπα οι συνθήκες υποδοχής στην ΚΕΔ Σάμου. P. 5 Available at: https://nchr.gr/images/pdf/apofaseis/prosfuges_metanastes/Ekthesi_Samos_2024.pdf. 72. Border Violence Monitoring Network. 2024. Illegal Pushbacks and Border Violence Reports: Monthly Report October 2023. Available at: https://borderviolence.eu/app/uploads/BVMN-Monthly-Report-October-2023.pdf. 73. Greek National Commission for Human Rights. 2024. Επιτόπια επίσκεψη ΕΕΔΑ στη Σάμο: Μη σύμφωνες με τα βασικά πρότυπα οι συνθήκες υποδοχής στην ΚΕΔ Σάμου. Available at: https://nchr.gr/images/pdf/apofaseis/prosfuges_metanastes/Ekthesi_Samos_2024.pdf; I Have Rights, Avocats Sans Frontières France and Medecins Sans Frontieres. 2024. Report before the Greek Ombudsman. See Annex 2. Report for Issues of Legality of material reception conditions waiver. 74. I Have Rights, Avocats Sans Frontières France and Medecins Sans Frontieres. 2024. Report before the Greek Ombudsman. See Annex 2. Report for Issues of Legality of material reception conditions waiver. 75. The Greek Ombudsman. 2024. Issues of legality regarding the waiver of material reception conditions. See Annex 3. The Greek Ombudsman response to Report on Issues of Legality of material reception conditions waiver. 09 69