only 13 years old. They took him away. There were more minors among us, but the Italian police did not accept them. While being fingerprinted, we were also beaten. There were 10-12 police officers. They beat us up a lot. Especially one of us who refused to be fingerprinted as he knew we would be in any case deported back to Greece, was badly beaten. Three officers took him in a separate room and beat him again. Here in Greece we are used to the police violence. But if they also beat us in Italy, we won’t sleep anymore at night out of fear.43 There was an Afghan-speaking interpreter. He did not help us. He told us he would return in ten minutes, but he disappeared. We then walked our way back to the ship, in groups of three. We were handcuffed with our hands behind our back. The police officers followed us and started beating us again. The Italian officers, the captain of the ship (wearing a white uniform) and some ship crew men. The Greeks were insulting us: “F..k you! As.. ole!” We could not understand what the Italians were saying. I do not know why they were beating us. It is so many years I am in the streets. I sleep in a cardboard box outside. Yet I did not understand the reason of these beatings. They kept us locked up in the ship for two nights and two days - almost fifteen persons in the same room of the same ship. We arrived in Patras on April 5, 2012.” A. (17), from Afghanistan44 / Ancona – Patra “It was last month. We were on the same ship with H.A. The ship arrived at the port of Ancona. The Italian police beat us all, in order to fingerprint us. Then beat us once more, when they took us back on the ship. They were pulling our ears while dragging us back to the ship. When we were readmitted, I was extremely sad. Once, I tried to leave from Greece on foot. I arrived in Hungary. I was detained there and then deported to Serbia. Wherever I go, Greece, Italy, Hungary, I find myself ending up in detention.” 43 See also cases of A. (17) and M. (17) for the same readmission 44 Interview held on April 4, 2012 in Patras. See also case of M.J., H.A., M (17) and M. 18 M. (17), from Afghanistan45 / Ancona – Patra “I was also readmitted with the same ship on the 4th of April (2012) from Ancona, together with H.A and A. (17). When we were in Ancona, I asked for asylum. I told the authorities my family is in Sweden. The Italian police just wrote my name down and returned me with the others back to Greece. I repeatedly told them that I want to stay in Italy, but the officers replied: “No, you want to go to Germany or somewhere else.” They first beat me up and then brought me back to the ship. I hope I will someday manage to leave Greece. My mother, my father and my other brother are in Sweden. They arrived there in 2011. Here in Patras, the port police destroyed my SIM card and I have lost their phone numbers. I cannot contact them anymore. I wanted to try and leave today, but I had no luck.” M., from Afghanistan46 / Ancona – Patras “They found us shortly before the ship reached the port of Ancona. We could not breathe anymore. We were fifteen persons. They brought us in a cabin of the ship and gave us only some bread. Upon arrival, the Italian police asked us where we come from and where we want to go. There were two interpreters, an Afghan and a Kurdish. The police did not say anything. They wrote something on their papers and brought us to the police station, next to the port. They fingerprinted us and then returned us back to the ship. Three of us ran out from the room. They jumped from the deck. One fell on the pier and was injured. He was badly beaten by the captain of the ship, because he had tried to escape. The captain was wearing white clothes. We were on the big Superfast. The police beat us all up and locked us up in the room. I asked for some food. I had not eaten anything since leaving Greece. They replied on my request by slapping me. What can I do when the police beat me? I can only say: “thank you!” I cannot do anything else. When we returned back to Patras, those holding already a Greek paper, where released. The others stayed overnight in detention at the old port.” 45 Interview held on April 4, 2012 in Patras. See also case of M.J., H.A., A. (17), and M. 46 Interview held on April 4, 2012 in Patras. See also case of M.J., H.A., A. (17) and M (17)