Akra Pachi – Tholos (Chios). In Kos, the CCAC has been expanded in an area attached to the thenexisting RIC located in Pyli. The new structures have been placed in remote locations, isolated from urban areas with very poor connection to the main cities of each island. More specifically, the new centre in Samos is located 7km away from the city of Vathy, the new centre in Leros is 6km from the city of Agia Marina and the centre in Kos is 15km far away from the city of Kos. Similarly, the new centre in Lesvos is being constructed in an area which is 30km from the city of Mytilene and the planned facility in Chios, is located 11km from the city of Chios.221 Conditions prevailing in the old RICs, converted into CCACs, namely the existing structures in Lesvos and Chios, have not improved and people continue to be hosted in degrading conditions. In the former Reception and Identification Centre (RIC) of Vial, renamed as “CCAC” in Chios, the conditions remain substandard, in need of maintenance and disinfection due to cockroaches and rodents. The food is of poor quality and there are no refrigerators to store it, even though meals are sometimes distributed all at once during the weekend. There is limited provision of interpretation services, which are in any case provided only during the weekdays and working hours (from morning until early afternoon). Moreover, the medical division of the RIS had no stable presence of doctor since March 2021. As a result, the vulnerability assessment procedure has been conducted principally by the nursing staff and Doctors of Medical Units of other CCACs or the Chios General Hospital. Due to limited provision of interpretation, psychosocial evaluations are nearly impossible due to the severe shortage of interpreters, who must focus on urgent needs.222 Similarly, the former RIC in Lesvos, which has been converted into CCAC, remains completely inadequate. As reported, large number of individuals, including vulnerables, at the Lesvos facility reside in tents (RHU) or rubhalls. Moreover, inaccessible and poor sanitation facilities, shortages of hot water, constant power cuts, poor quality of food and shortages of basic supplies such as blankets and clothing are observed. During 2024, the medical and psychosocial division of the RIS in Lesvos remained understaffed, leaving individuals with obvious vulnerabilities unidentified. Moreover, references for understaffing concerned also interpretation provision services 223 (for detailed information on reception conditions, see Conditions in reception facilities). The new CCAC are also a cause for serious concern, despite the large amount of funding that was used for their construction. More specifically, the Commission granted the Greek Government €121 million in November 2020 for the construction of CCAC on Samos, Kos, and Leros. In April 2021, the grant agreement was amended to include additional funding (€155 million) for the CCACI on Chios and Lesvos. The grant agreement was further amended in September 2021, and in February 2022. 224 According to the MoMA’s website, €43 million were granted for the construction CCAC of Samos, €39,36 million for the construction of CCAC of Kos, and €35.3 million for the CCAC of Leros. 225 Conditions prevailing in the new centres appeared to be better than the ones in the RICs in terms of infrastructure. Yet in practice, the majority of the facilities hailed as significant improvements to residents’ quality of life by the European Commission and the Greek authorities – such as restaurant and communal areas, shared kitchens, IT ‘labs’, distribution points for non-food items, as well as playgrounds and recreational areas – have never been used.226 This, coupled with the shortcomings in the provision of basic services and material conditions resulted in a severe deterioration of living conditions in the CCAC. 221 222 223 224 225 226 RSA, What is happening today in the refugee structures on the Aegean islands, available at https://tinyurl.com/bdpc6byj. RSA, Refugee facilities on the Aegean islands, Chios, 10 December 2024, available at: https://tinyurl.com/2c2skt5s. RSA, Refugee facilities on the Aegean islands”, Lesvos, 10 December 2024, available at: https://tinyurl.com/3rjz3ku2. European Commission DG Migration and Home Affairs, Annual Activity Report 2021 Annexes, 2 May 2022, https://tinyurl.com/3985fuc5. MoMA, R.I.C & C.C.A.C., available in Greek at: https://tinyurl.com/4a4kb3f3. GCR& Oxfam International, Submission Inquiry on Fundamental Rights in the EU-funded Migration Facilities on the Greek Islands Case OI/3/2022/MHZ, November 2022, available at: https://tinyurl.com/5ebxr3rh 61