18 it is clear this data is not an official registration quarantine.39 of the will to apply for asylum, instead the in- Once within quarantine, asylum seekers on tent to apply for asylum is not recorded in any Chios are rarely offered an explanation of their official capacity until after the quarantine, once rights within the quarantine or of any possible they are officially registered by authorities at services available to them. A little over half of the RIC.36 Additionally, RIS does not give people those interviewed stated that they were told copies of this basic registration nor does it ap- that they were in or were being placed in quar- pear at a later time in their RIS files. Thus, asy- antine. The provision of information seems to lum seekers have no formal documentation of be ad hoc, as those interviewed gave different ac- being on Greek territory or having expressed counts of which authority informed them and their will to apply for asylum while they are in when.40 One medical employee that had access quarantine. Additionally, the official date of ar- to the facility stated that almost every person rival to Greece listed in RIS files before October they meet in quarantine is stressed until they 2021 was listed as the date in which asylum inform them about the reason for the quaran- seekers were registered with RIS, despite having tine. been in quarantine on Greek territory for weeks prior. Equal Rights Chios lawyers noticed in September 2021 that this procedure changed as RIS began listing the date of arrival as the actual day of entry to the country. After quarantine, asylum seekers are transferred to Vial for registration of their asylum application. One interviewee described being afraid and confused as she and others in quarantine were loaded onto a bus and transferred to Vial. While the Chios RIS stated in a letter to Equal She stated that no explanation was given as to Rights that the quarantine was to last for 14 days, what was happening and that they had no idea this 14-day limit was not written in any official where they were being taken.41 law or document. Additionally, the stated 1437 day limit was not always adhered to in practice. c. Conditions in Lefkonia Researchers documented quarantines that The Lefkonia quarantine facility is inside the old lasted as few as 10 days and as long as 17.38 How- Alithia Publications building overlooking the ever, the quarantine period on Chios was re- Aegean Sea. It is located approximately 5.15 km duced to 5 days in May 2022, after the 1 May from the Vial RIC. JMD was passed that called for a 5-day Based on 11 interviews of 2 single women and 9 Ibid. Letter from Chios RIC Director, July 2021. 38 5 interviewees stated that their quarantine lasted 14 days, 2 stated that it lasted 15 days, one stated that it lasted 10, and one stated that it lasted 17 days. 39 JMD Δ1α/ΓΠ.οϊκ.23983 /2022, Extraordinary measures to protect public health from the risk of further spread of the coronavirus COVID-19, 1 May 2022, Art. 1 para 6 refers to Annex II which states “(9): Especially newly arrived third-country nationals or stateless persons upon arrival at the centres and facilities hereunder shall be subject either to a self-test or to a rapid test for the detection of COVID-19 coronavirus antigen. If the result of the self-test/rapid test is negative, they shall be placed in quarantine for a period of five (5) days. […]”, available at: https://bit.ly/3RV7vrH. 40 Three persons stated that they were information about the quarantine by authorities at the camp before they were transferred, two were informed in quarantine by SMH, two by the police in quarantine, and one by an unidentified authority in quarantine. 41 Interview with Victoria, quarantined in summer 2021. 36 37 ‘Quarantine of Asylum Seeker’ – A legal classification of the quarantine practice on Chios