People previously detained in Metagogon describe the conditions as exceptionally poor and largely unchanged since the CPT’s findings in 2016: detainees sleep on mattresses on the floor without proper beds, in small cells with inadequate light and ventilation, and without access to outdoor spaces. Broken showers, bedbug infestations, insufficient heating and interrupted access to electricity are common complaints. Some detainees have undertaken hunger strikes to protest these living conditions.

As in all police stations, people detained at Metagogon receive a daily allowance of €5.87, a sum inadequate to cover even basic food needs, let alone hygiene products or phone cards to contact family or lawyers. Personal mobile phones are confiscated, leaving detainees reliant on prepaid phone cards purchased from this allowance.

Communication barriers further worsen detainees’ uncertainty about their legal situation; professional translation and legal assistance are limited or unaffordable for many.

The CPT noted during its visit in 2016 that conditions at the Special Holding Facility amounted to a public health risk. At that time, most detainees had skin infections, including scabies, and two people were suspected of having tuberculosis. The Committee additionally reported a number of suicide attempts at the facility, and the absence of counselling or suicide-prevention measures in place. Interviews with people detained since 2016 indicate that these issues have persisted.