640071
Testimony- Testimony collected by
- Border Violence Monitoring Network
- Date and location recorded
- 13th November 2023, Thessaloniki, Northern Greece
- Detention centre related
- Detention Centre Country
- Greece
- Duration of detention
- 1 - 2 months
- Nationality
- Syria
- Age
- 35
- Gender
- Male
- LGBTQI
- No answer
- Type of arrest
- Mass/sweep
- Why was the respondent detained?
- Unknown to respondent
- 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?
- No
- Did the respondent have access to translation?
- Yes
- Did the respondent have access to medical aid?
- Yes, limited
- Did the respondent have access to NGOs?
- Unknown
- Did the respondent have access to legal support?
- No
- Did the respondent apply for asylum?
- Yes
- Number detained in cell
- 8
- Number detainees sharing WC
- 10+
- Hygiene rating
- Very poor
- Type of cell
- Isobox/container, shared
- Had access to phone?
- No
- Had access to WiFi?
- Unknown
- Ventilation
- Unknown
- Participated in hunger strike / protest?
- Unknown
- Had conflicts with other detainees?
- Unknown
- Meal quality
- Unknown
- Meal quantity
- 1 per day, CCAC
- Had access to water?
- Unknown
- Had access to outdoor space?
- Yes
- Had access to educational resources?
- Unknown
- Had access to religious space?
- Unknown
- Had access to electricity?
- Unknown
- Had access to bed?
- Individual
- Had access to laundry?
- Unknown
- Had access to toilet articles?
- Unknown
- Had access to mattress?
- Unknown
- Narrative
The respondent is 35 years old and is from Syria. He was reportedly detained in the Closed Control Access Centre (CCAC) on the island of Kos for a period of 60 days. Upon arrival in Kos, along with a group of 15 Syrians aged 13-35, the respondent was fingerprinted, asked to provide a digital signature, and had his personal belongings temporarily confiscated - including passports and mobile phones - without being provided with a reason for this. The respondent reported that the authorities “made sure that they had all the PIN codes for all the phones [...] so they could open the phones.” The authorities reportedly returned the phones to the group after six days. For the first 12 days, the respondent was reportedly detained in a closed section of the camp without being informed why by the authorities. He and the other 15 Syrians were held in a container which was split into two sections, each with four beds in it. The conditions of the caravan were described by the respondent as unclean. During this time, the group was reportedly not allowed to go outside and was provided with one meal per day. The respondent was then transferred to the open section of the CCAC where he reported better hygienic conditions and less crowded containers. The respondent explained that people detained there were allowed to go outside and buy items from a local market between two and three times per week. During the detention in Kos CCAC the respondent was not able to access any legal support, as he reported that there was not any lawyer present in the camp. The respondent was reportedly taken to a clinic within the camp as he experienced foot pain but did not see a doctor there and was only prescribed painkillers.