T.A. and others v. Greece

Court rulings

Type of violation

Summary of case: The applicants, including two Syrian nationals and three Afghan nationals, arrived at Samos Reception and Identification Centre and remained at the site from September 2019 to May 2020 as unaccompanied minors seeking asylum. The applicants claimed inadequate living conditions and assistance at Samos. Various domestic and international sources highlighted the ‘severe overcrowding, lack of access to medical and sanitary facilities, insufficient food supply, lack of security and high crime rates’ at Samos. Unaccompanied minors faced similar conditions, even within the designated ‘safe zone’ for minors. In actuality, minors and adults were rarely separated, raising important issues regarding the safety and safeguarding of unaccompanied minors. The applicants were only placed in a ‘safe zone’ for minors many months after authorities identified them as unaccompanied minors. Due to the harsh conditions at Samos for both adults and minors, the Court ruled that there was a violation of Article 3.

Related detention centre

Link to external source: https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng#%7B%22itemid%22:[%22001-236050%22]%7D

Supporting files