- 27 5. Establishments under the Ministry of Merchant Marine 45. The Coast Guard is responsible for apprehending persons attempting to enter Greece irregularly by sea and, once on land, for processing such persons prior to transferring them to police custody. The Port Authorities generally only have a single cell for holding persons arrested within the jurisdictional area of the port, although in recent years some have acquired containers to hold persons during the period of processing. When faced with large groups of persons the Coast Guard, with the assistance of the local authorities, will establish temporary holding centres in schools, warehouses or other public buildings, as foreseen under the “Poseidon Plan”. 46. The CPT’s delegation visited the Port Authorities of Chios and Mytilini. The single cell in the Chios Port Authority building was adequate given its limited use for very short periods of time. The main holding facility was a container of some 28 m², devoid of any equipment. Such a facility could be rendered acceptable for stays of a few hours, providing that it is equipped with suitable seating arrangements and appropriate ventilation. Regrettably, large numbers of persons had remained in the container more than 24 hours, particularly over weekends; for example on 21 June 2005 some 25 persons spent more than 24 hours in the container. The delegation was informed that the Coast Guard had proposed the construction of a new, appropriately equipped, permanent structure. The Committee would like to receive a copy of the plans of the new structure and to be informed of its proposed capacity. Further, the CPT recommends that containers of the type used in Chios should never be used to hold persons for more than a few hours and should always be equipped with suitable seating and adequate ventilation. The Port Authority of Mytilini possessed one cell measuring 6m², which was dilapidated and dirty with virtually no natural light or ventilation; further, the toilet and basin, in an adjoining cubicle, did not function. In its current state, the cell is not appropriate for keeping detainees, even for short periods. The CPT recommends that the cell be taken out of use until such time as it has been properly renovated. 47. The recording of detention also left a lot to be desired in the Port Authorities. In all Port Authorities a specific custody register should exist to accurately record the detention of persons (reason for detention, time of arrival; when informed of rights and in which language; signs of injury, health alerts given with the consent of the detainee; contacts with and/or visits from lawyer or doctor; when offered food; when transferred, released, etc.). The CPT recommends that the Greek authorities take the necessary steps in light of the above remarks.