026890
Testimony- Testimony collected by
- Border Violence Monitoring Network
- Date and location recorded
- Thessaloniki, Northern Greece, October 2025
- Detention centre related
- Detention Centre Country
- Greece
- Duration of detention
- 2 - 4 months
- Nationality
- Egypt
- Age
- 28
- Gender
- Male
- Type of arrest
- Mass/sweep
- Why was the respondent detained?
- Illegal entry
- Detained before?
- No
- Was the respondent informed of the duration of detention?
- No
- Did the respondent experience any violence?
- Yes
- Type of violence experienced
- Exposure to extreme temperatures and weather
- Physical violence
- Threats and intimidation
- Verbal insult
- Was the respondent forced to sign documents?
- Yes
- Did the respondent have access to medical aid?
- Yes, limited
- Did the respondent have access to NGOs?
- Yes, over the phone
- Did the respondent have access to legal support?
- No
- Did the respondent apply for asylum?
- No, but expressed
- Number detained in cell
- 8
- Number detainees sharing WC
- 10+
- Hygiene rating
- Very poor
- Type of cell
- Isobox/container, shared
- Had access to phone?
- Yes, own
- Meal quality
- Very poor
- Meal quantity
- 3 per day, in PRDC
- Had access to outdoor space?
- Yes, limited space
- Had access to bed?
- Individual, thin
- Had access to toilet articles?
- Provided, limited
- Had access to mattress?
- Yes
- Narrative
The respondent is a 28 year-old Egyptian national who arrived in Greece at the end of July 2025 and was subjected to the suspension of asylum applications. The respondent reported being exposed to extreme temperatures at Amygdaleza PRDC upon arrival at the facility, reportedly being left for three hours in the sun without any access to water. His requests for water were reportedly met with physical and verbal violence from the authorities. The respondent reported that physical violence, insults and racism from detention officers was common in Amygdaleza: “The police assault us…physically, and they beat us a lot and they are all very racist...They told us 'You must go back to your country. We don’t give you any asylum' [...]. We believe in human rights and I told them that, but when I told the police officer, 'That’s not your right to punish me like that' and he punished me again and again [...] anytime anyone has a problem here, they come to beat us”. The respondent reported voicing his willingness to apply for asylum from day one in the facility, but his requests were met with denial, intimidation and pressure to sign deportation forms by police. During his detention he did not receive any kind of legal support. He reported living in a container with seven other people, split in two different rooms, and one bathroom. No blankets or clothes were provided to detainees despite dropping temperatures and basic hygiene items were provided only once, with the only other option to buy these from a market visiting the facility three times a week. Amygdaleza was reported to be infested with “hundreds of rats” and detainees alternated sleep schedules to chase away rats. The respondent described the food provided as undercooked and extremely poor and access to healthcare was very limited, having to insist repeatedly to get access to see a dentist to remove a tooth.