3. INDIVIDUAL CASES 3.1. Returns upon arrival at “official border points”: Informal Readmissions The Italian ports of Ancona, Bari, Brindisi and Venice are highly militarized border crossing areas, enclosed by fences. In most of them, access to specific areas of the port is only granted to those who hold a valid ticket and who wish to travel. In Ancona, due to the port’s structure one can easily watch the disembarkation and embarkation procedure from outside the fences. In the other ports, these procedures take place at a distance, “safe” from any prying eyes. deported from Italy.” The Afghans readmitted from Italy started telling us: “There were fifteen of us on board. We arrived in Ancona yesterday, with the Superfast. Three of us tried to escape in order to avoid readmission and jumped from the deck. One fell on the pier and broke his heels.” As we were later informed, during our visit to Ancona, this one was hospitalized due to his severe injuries. 3.1.1. Ancona As we have also been informed from the NGO running a programme at the port of Ancona, the other two who had jumped into the sea, were not found. They either managed to escape or had drowned. And the Afghans continue: “The rest of us were caught. The Italian police beat us in the port. Four of us finally stayed in Italy, eleven persons were sent back to Patras on the same ship. When we arrived in Ancona, we got off the trucks. The police caught us and took us to a place inside the port, where they kept us for about thirty minutes. They beat us in all parts of our bodies and insulted us a lot. They asked us whether we wanted to apply for asylum and we all said yes. Nobody registered that though. Then they took photos of us. I told them that I am 17 years old, but they did not write that down. It’s better they deported us back to Patras and not to Igoumenitsa, where we would be detained for a long period.” M.J. (17), from Afghanistan41 / Ancona - Patras H.A., from Afghanistan42 / Ancona – Patras While we are sitting on the rails next to the Peiraiki Patraiki Factory, some Afghans arrive in small groups. They happily hug each other and start asking each other questions. Then they tell us: “These two guys just returned back from Albania. They tried to cross the borders from there. They were initially three, but when they woke up in the mountains, one of them had died. Now they came back and they are already discussing about what to do next. Some of the others who arrived, just came back from Athens, where they were “deported”. They walked all the way back here. And those, were just “One month ago I was hiding with two friends inside a truck. The truck entered the big Superfast ferry. We were 16 persons inside the truck. Two hours before arriving to Ancona, the security guy from the ship company found us. We were making some noise, so they noticed us. They brought us up to a room on the 9th floor of the ship and locked us up there. There were no windows, but just four beds and a small bathroom. When the ship arrived at the Italian port, the police came and took us to the police station in the port. We were fingerprinted and they took some photos of us. One of us was 41 Interview held on April 4, 2012 in Patras. See also: cases of A.J. (17), H.A., M (17) and M. 42 Interview held on May 13, 2012 in Patras. See also case of A. (17), M.J &, M (17), M. & H.A from Afghanistan / Brindisi - Patras Strict controls of vehicles and passengers onboard of the ships and upon disembarkation are enhanced in some cases with thorough scanning methods. Even if someone manages to come out of the truck where he’s been hiding for hours (in some cases even for days), it is quite impossible that he will manage to leave the port area, that he’ll be able in case of apprehension to ask for international protection and have his claim be registered and properly assessed. 17