- 27 50. The CPT has already it made clear that police and border guard stations do not offer suitable accommodation and appropriate conditions for lengthy periods of detention.41 In the course of the 2009 visit, it became apparent that the situation had not improved, as such facilities continued to accommodate for weeks and even months, both irregular migrants and persons facing criminal charges. In fact, even at acceptable occupancy levels, from an infrastructural point of view, only two of the police and border stations visited possessed an outdoor exercise yard and therefore could be considered suitable for periods of detention lasting longer than 24 hours: Feres Border Guard Station and Chios Town Police Station. However, at the time of the visit, even at these establishments outdoor exercise either took place on an irregular basis for not more than 20 minutes (Feres) or had been discontinued (Chios). 51. In their response of 23 November 2009 to the delegation’s preliminary observations, the Greek authorities informed the CPT that administrative detention of irregular migrants in police and border guard stations would be ended, and that in the future administratively detained irregular migrants would only be accommodated in dedicated detention facilities. Further, the response stated that between 17 October and 10 November 2009 a total of 3,200 irregular migrants had been released. The CPT welcomes this move by the Greek authorities to comply with the long-standing recommendation of the Committee not to hold administrative detainees in police and border guard stations. The CPT would like to receive confirmation that police and border guard stations are no longer used to accommodate administratively detained irregular migrants. Further, the CPT recommends that every effort be made to ensure that criminal suspects placed on remand are transferred to a prison without delay. The Committee also recommends that arrangements be made for all persons detained for more than 24 hours in a police or border guard establishment to be offered daily outdoor exercise of at least one hour. 52. Most police or border guard detention facilities visited consisted of multi occupancy cells of different sizes, with closely spaced concrete plinths on which to sleep. In some establishments, there was in-cell sanitation, such as in Serres, Feres (two of the three cells) and Xanthi (all but one cell); in other facilities, the toilets were not always directly accessible for detained persons, and in Amfissa Police Transfer Centre, Thessaloniki Monasteriou Station, the holding cell at Feres Border Guard Station, Chios Town Police Station and Neo Karvali Border Guard Station, detained persons complained that they did not always have access to a toilet and that, particularly at night, they often had to relieve themselves in bottles. 41 See for instance CPT/ Inf (2006) 41, paragraph 31; CPT/ Inf (2008) 3, paragraph 21; CPT/ Inf (2009) 20, paragraph 34.