I also thank Anne-Marie Fortier for her thoughtful comments and recommendations throughout the transfer of status and confirmation of status processes. A PhD viva can be a daunting and intimidating task. My examiners, Michaela Benson and Jenna Loyd, made it a pleasant experience. So, I thank them for a stimulating discussion and for helping me to push myself further intellectually. I would further like to thank the activists, researchers and lawyers I have collaborated with over the years on projects that aim to bring stories of detention to the foreground. I owe a lot to the people I have interviewed during all these years of research. Without their accounts of living and working inside the Greek detention system, this thesis would not have been the same. Most importantly, I would like to acknowledge the tens of thousands of people who have suffered inside immigration detention centres in Greece. Some have spoken to me. I hope that this thesis does justice to their stories of abuse and neglect. I would finally like to thank my (extended) family. First and foremost, my parents who have generously helped me support my dream, have never questioned my passion, have constantly been there and have always been proud of me, without ever reading anything I have written. My brother Elias, who is the person that understands me most and to whom I will always turn to no matter what. His family is always a source of joy. My lifelong friends, Vassia and Maria, whose presence is one of the few constants in my life, without which I would not be here. Virginia, whose friendship has often been lifesaving getting me through difficult days. She has also read, edited and helped with many parts of this thesis. Of course, this thesis could not have finished, without the invaluable support of my parents in law, who spent all these years helping us raise our children and who have selflessly devoted their time and energy in helping me get here. And finally, and most importantly, I would like to thank my companions in life. A massive thank you from the bottom of my heart to my husband, Kostas, who spent endless days and nights trying to make me see what I could not; that I can do it. His boundless love and devotion have kept me safe and sane. His deep belief that we can do whatever we dream of has shown me the path in life. Finally, this is dedicated to my beautiful daughters Anna and Demetra, who brighten up my days and help me restore my faith in humanity. I hope they will grow up to become confident individuals, prepared to fight the injustice in this world in any possible way. You were born to rage against them! 7