»The truth may be bitter, but it must be told« ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ of juveniles and children. In practice, unaccompanied minors are left homeless and without any protection after release. The maximum period of administrative detention is three months. Although deportation orders cannot be implemented in the majority of cases, and deportation has to be suspended (with the effect that detention would have to cease according to Greek law), those concerned remain in detention. This administrative practice appears arbitrary. The length of detention is determined by the respective police authority concerned. There are no professional interpreters any of the three islands visited. At the police stations, amongst the coast guards and in the detention centres, fellow detainees are usually used as interpreters. In Samos, the Arabicspeaking owner of a shop acts as an interpreter. Legal assistance is not provided by law during the administrative process. Detained refugees have very little opportunity to receive qualified legal advice: In the detention centres we visited, there was only one person providing legal advice on a very limited basis. The local support groups have no access to the detention centres. The detainees cannot establish contact with the outside world (there is no accessible phone in Samos and Mitilini and mobile phones are confiscated). Detainees are not informed about their status and their rights – not even after release from detention. They do not understand the documents attesting release. The deportation orders are handed to them in Greek. There is effectively no possibility of appeal against deportation orders and detention. Although provided for by law, in practice this right can rarely be exercised. The issuing of deportation orders and the subsequent detention of any person arriving irregularly at Greece, including all persons in need of international protection, constitutes a breach of international refugee law and human rights. This practice also leads to violations of the principle of non-refoulement. Their official registration as asylum seekers or persons in need of international protection is not required for their protection (art. 33 (I) of the 1951 Geneva Convention on the status of refugees, art. 3 ECHR, art. 3 UNCAT, art. 7 ICCPR, art. 3 and 14(I) of the 1948 UDHR ). Furthermore, penalties must not be imposed on refugees on account of their illegal entry into or presence in a contracting state (article 31(1) Geneva Convention). The entire administrative procedure for refugees and migrants at the border violates fundamental human rights, in particular the right to a fair hearing and the right to access to a fair procedure and the right to an effective appeal (article 5(2), 5(4) 6(1) ECHR, article 13 ICCPR, article 7, 8 UDHR). Apart from that, the Greek authorities are in breach of article 5 of the EU Reception Directive according to which asylum seekers have to be fully informed about their rights. The detention of persons in need of international protection violates international standards. Persons should not be detained (Art. 31 of the 1951 Geneva Convention on the status of refugees, art. 5 (I) ECHR, art. 9 (I), 14(I) ICCPR, art. 3 and 9 UDHR, art.7 (I) of the EU Reception Directive). Furthermore, the detention of particularly vulnerable individuals with special needs of assistance and protection constitutes a major violation of basic human rights and dignity. The detention of minors constitutes a flagrant violation of international law pertaining to the protection of the rights of the child (art. 37(b) of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, UNHCR guidelines on refugee children). Greece is furthermore in violation of the minimum standards relating to the protection of minors, as prescribed by EU law (namely article 17, 18 and 19 of the EU Reception Directive). Inhumane and degrading conditions of detention Detention conditions on all three islands visited constitute inhuman and degrading treatment. ■ No special provisions are made for vulnerable groups, such as minors, torture victims, victims of trafficking, disabled persons or persons with physical and psychological problems. ■ Medical treatment offered in the detention centres of Chios, Samos an Mitilini is wholly insufficient. ■ Access to exercise yards and to fresh air was not being regulated in Mitilini and Samos. Very often doors were kept locked for several days. In Mitilini, refugees from Arabic countries were being denied all exercise in fresh air at the time of our visit. ■ In all three centres, there are serious concerns about the quality of drinking water and food. ■ Sanitary installations are extremely dirty and partially broken. There are insufficient toilets and shower facilities for the great number of detainees. ■ Detainees are not provided with sufficient sanitary articles for their personal hygiene. They are not provided with appropriate clothes. ■ There are no central meeting rooms, and no activities are offered. In the cells, which we were able to inspect, there was no furniture apart from beds. ■ None of the buildings provides shelter against the heat Summary, conclusions and demands 7