The respondents are 22 and 30 years old and are from Iran. After having crossed the land border between Turkey and Greece, they were apprehended in Greece in an area close to North Macedonia. They were later transferred to what they described as a police station close by, where they had their fingerprints taken and reportedly lived in degrading conditions. After fifteen days, the two respondents were moved to the Transfers Department of Thessaloniki (Metagogon), where they stayed for approximately three months and fifteen days and were subjected to ill-treatment. “We were in very very bad situation, very very bad place and very very difficult place”. They further added: “That is crazy, I think Iran is a very bad country and a very crazy place, but Metagogon is like Iran”. Upon arrival at the transfer facility, they were forced to sign documents in Greek without understanding the content and without being given a translator - “Officer told “You sign”. And we signed”. They shared a room without ventilation with ten other people with various other pending criminal charges. Food was not provided and, with their daily allowance, the respondents could only afford one sandwich, one croissant and one bottle of water per day. Once they entered the facility, the respondents had their mobile phones confiscated. Hence, the respondents were forced to fast to save money to contact a lawyer through the detention facility’s landline - they “didn't eat for one day, two days, three days, for one card”, they “saved money for one card”. Also, they could not hear from their families for the entire length of their detention. Access to healthcare was also limited during their detention period: transfers to hospital were only allowed during the mornings after nine o’clock and only in cases of extreme urgency.

They were then reportedly transferred to Paranesti Pre-Removal Detention Camp in March and were detained until May 2024. Both respondents explained that the reason for their detention is unclear to them. “We have our asylum applications, we have given our fingerprints and photographs. I don’t know why they don’t leave us.” They reported being held in shipping containers with eight people per room and cameras on their phones being removed. Medical provision was described as poor. One respondent, 22, explained: “For two months now my teeth have been so painful. I need to see a dentist but there is no dentist.” Paracetamol is reportedly the only treatment reportedly provided by officers. They also stated that they feel like “prisoners” in the camp.