A man from Iraq, self-describing as old but wishing to keep his age anonymous, gave the following testimony about his time at Leros Closed Control Access Centre (CCAC). He had arrived in July 2025 and underwent a period of deprivation of liberty while he was screened and his asylum claim registered. This period of de facto detention had ended at the time of interview and the man said he had been in the CCAC for approximately 15 days.

The man said he had come to Greece by boat from Izmir, arriving on an island - likely Farmakonisi - where the police arrested him, taking him to Leros. He had only a sleeping bag upon arrival at Leros CCAC. He said air conditioning ran 24/7, making the space cold. He added clothes were given on arrival to women and children, not to men.

Following his period of detention, the man described moving to a room shared with three others where he had a bed and pillow. He reported people who had registered their asylum claims were allowed to leave the CCAC between approximately 9am and 9pm.

The man said the toilets were outside and cleaned daily. He referenced two toilets, one for men and one for women, and two bathrooms shared by 80 people. He reported both hot and cold water and that when taps were broken they were fixed after two days.

He said food and water were distributed once per day in the CCAC, mentioning rice, soup, chicken, and bread. Milk was given to children, he added. Water quantity was however his greatest concern, with just one bottle per day given. The respondent reported he needed to drink a lot due to his diabetes and that the bottle was not sufficient. He reportedly received money through Western Union and could buy additional items, although the CCAC had no kitchen facilities.

The respondent said a UN body was operating within the CCAC and that MSF came three times per week. Sometimes medicine was reportedly available, but at other times people were sent to buy their own. Antibiotics run out on occasion, he said, adding that one doctor was responsible for more than 400 people. He had had an appointment with a psychologist at the CCAC. He had heard some cases of other people in the camp self-harming and said he had seen an ambulance twice.

The respondent described the police as “very polite” while at another point stating that they “talk bad to us”. He also said that the police “put you down” if they have been called by security personnel to break up a fight and their verbal warnings have been ignored.