is that every illegal migrant, unless the competent authorities decide that he is entitled to international protection, will be detained until he is returned to his home country”.5 The new detention policy Greece has adopted since 2010 a new policy to manage its irregular migrant population and reinforce the EU external borders, which relies heavily on the use of detention. 6 Under this new action plan all migrants detected for irregular entry or residence in Greece, including asylum seekers, are systematically placed in detention — a direct consequence of their irregular status. Combined with wide-scale police operations this practice has led to the widespread detention of undocumented migrants throughout the country. In support of this new policy, a recent advisory opinion of the Greek Legal Council gave the green light to the authorities to prolong detention even beyond the maximum 18-month time-limit set by the EU Returns Directive; until the detainee has “consented” to be returned.7 Since the number of arrestees exceeds the number of places available to implement this new policy, Greece has engaged in the past three years in a large-scale investment in detention establishments. There are at present five (5) pre-removal centres operating in Amygdaleza, Corinth, Komotini, Paranesti and Xanthi, with a total capacity of 5,000 places. Four (4) additional facilities are currently under construction will increase the total capacity to 10.000 places by the end of 2014. 8 At the same time, Greece has heavily invested in improving the conditions inside old and new establishments. Some of the worst old facilities have closed down, others are being refurbished, while new establishments are being created — like Amygdaleza — “of high standards”9. An “Internal Regulation of Operation of the Security Services of Immigration Detention Facilities” that was recently prepared, seeks to establish for the first time a common framework of operation of these centers as well as set rules with regard to the behaviour of the staff and the rights and duties of the detainees. 10 5 6 7 8 9 10 netImage=2204818&SecMode=1&DocId=1964830&Usage=2 . See Press Office Reply of Minister of Interior and Citizen Protection concerning the events at Amygdaleza, 11 August 2013, available at http://www.yptp.gr/index.php?option=ozo_content&lang=GR&perform=view&id=4736&Itemid =579 (Translation by the author of Greek original: “Στόχος μας είναι κάθε παράνομος μετανάστης, εφόσον τα αρμόδια όργανα κρίνουν ότι δεν δικαιούται διεθνούς προστασίας, να κρατείται μέχρι να επιστρέψει στην πατρίδα του.”) . See Report by Council of Europe Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons, “Migration and asylum: mounting tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean”, 23 January 2013, available at http://assembly.coe.int/ASP/Doc/XrefViewPDF.asp?FileID=19349&Language=en . For more see A. Triandafyllidou, A. Dimitriadi and D. Angeli, “Detention as Punishment: Can indefinite detention be Greece's main policy tool to manage its irregular migrant population?”, MIDAS Policy Brief, April 2014, available at http://www.eliamep.gr/wpcontent/uploads/2014/04/Polic-brief-Detention-in-Greece-1.pdf . See Ministry of Public Order and Citizen Protection, “Greek Action Plan on Asylum and Migration Management, Executive Summary Progress Report January- May 2013”, available at http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2009_2014/documents/libe/dv/p4_progressreport _/p4_progressreport_en.pdf . Ibid. See National Gazette, Issue No 1851 of 29 July 2013, available at file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/b4/My%20Documents/Downloads/document%20(2).p df . 2