Frontex Attempts to Reduce Violations in Detention Having learned of the dire situation in the detention centers, Frontex attempted to help temporarily alleviate the crisis. Thus, for example, the agency offered Greece tents to relieve some of the pressure in the overcrowded detention centers. These tents, however, were found unfit for winter conditions and thus were not used.70 When the RABIT deployment began, Frontex also approached the Greek government with an idea to house some of the migrants in a military base on one of the Greek islands.71 Furthermore, the agency raised the possibility that a particular sugar factory could be renovated and made into a detention center. As of February, Frontex informed us that these suggestions were "being processed," and that the Greek authorities had made no decision on them.72 Because Frontex had demonstrated an interest in seeking practical solutions to address the problem of migrants in abhorrent detention conditions, Human Rights Watch wrote to Arias Fernández on December 7, 2010 urging his agency to press the Greek authorities to start transferring migrants to empty detention centers in other parts of Greece.73 In a response dated December 9, 2010, Arias Fernández repeated the position Frontex consistently takes: "We have no direct role in the immigration or asylum systems of member states and especially not in detention.” He also said, however: I raised the question of the difficult conditions in the detention centers with the Hellenic Police authorities last week during my visit to Orestiada. Frontex also sent a letter to the Greek Management Board representative drawing their attention to the problem. We have also made the European Commission aware of the situation, in order to seek possible support from the EC to tackle this problem. 74 Separate from the RABIT deployment in Greece, in March 2011, Frontex adopted a “Fundamental Rights Strategy” for its operations as a whole.75 The preamble to the strategy 70 Human Rights Watch interview with Arias Fernández, Orestiada, December 1, 2010. 71 Human Rights Watch interview with Wahlström and staff, Piraeus, February 15, 2011. 72 Ibid. 73 Human Rights Watch letter to Gil Arias Fernández, December 7, 2010. 74 Frontex letter to Human Rights Watch, December 9, 20011. 75 Frontex, “Frontex Fundamental Rights Strategy,” March 31, 2011, fx_fund_rights_strategy_endorsed_by_mb_31.03.2011.pdf available at http://www.frontex.europa.eu/newsroom/news_releases/art105.html (accessed April 14, 2011). 27 HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH | SEPTEMBER 2011