185231
Testimony- Testimony collected by
- Border Violence Monitoring Network
- Date and location recorded
- 2022, Thessaloniki, Northern Greece
- Detention centre related
- Detention Centre Country
- Greece
- Duration of detention
- 18 - 24 months
- Nationality
- Pakistan
- Age
- 26
- Gender
- Male
- LGBTQI
- No answer
- Type of arrest
- Individual
- Why was the respondent detained?
- Undocumented
- Detained before?
- No
- Was the respondent informed of the duration of detention?
- No
- Did the respondent experience any violence?
- No
- Type of violence experienced
- Not Applicable
- Was the respondent forced to sign documents?
- Unknown
- Did the respondent have access to translation?
- Yes, in a PRDC
- Did the respondent have access to medical aid?
- Yes, limited
- Did the respondent have access to NGOs?
- Yes, remote
- Did the respondent have access to legal support?
- No
- Did the respondent apply for asylum?
- Yes
- Appealed?
- Yes
- Number detained in cell
- Unknown
- Number detainees sharing WC
- Unknown
- Hygiene rating
- Low quality
- Type of cell
- Unknown
- Had access to phone?
- Yes, shared
- Had access to WiFi?
- No
- Ventilation
- A/C
- Participated in hunger strike / protest?
- Unknown
- Had conflicts with other detainees?
- Physical
- Verbal
- Meal quality
- Satisfactory
- Meal quantity
- 2 per day, in PRDC
- Had access to water?
- Unknown
- Had access to outdoor space?
- Yes, limited space
- Had access to educational resources?
- Unknown
- Had access to religious space?
- Unknown
- Had access to electricity?
- Unlimited
- Had access to bed?
- Individual
- Had access to laundry?
- Unknown
- Had access to toilet articles?
- Unknown
- Had access to mattress?
- Individual
- Narrative
The respondent is 26 years old and is from Pakistan. He was arrested in Athens and detained in Amygdaleza PRDC for a year and a half. He applied for asylum but got rejected. Inside the centre, an interpreter explained to him the asylum procedure. There was heating and air conditioning. They had to clean their spaces themselves and while there were toilets and showers, they were not working properly. He claimed that there was a lot of violence between the detainees. Access to outdoor space was restricted. Detainees got food twice a day and no dinner was provided. He had a medical issue with his kidney for which he had been operated on and despite showing medical documentation to the police he did not receive any medical care. He was taken twice to the hospital but the doctors did not examine him properly and said he was healthy. Other than delivering food sometimes, he had nothing else to do inside the centre. He had no access to legal aid or other forms of services. While he did not experience any violence, he says he was feeling depressed and stressed having spent so much time inside detention without any information about his case.