- 24 As regards the holding of UASC at the facilities of the Directorate of Foreign Nationals of Attica,
see the response to paragraph 47.
Paragraph 49: Recommendation to the Greek authorities to end the detention of UASC in
detention facilities of the Illegal Migration Department (TDPM) of Mygdonia
Children placed in protective custody are held separately from adult irregular migrants. The
detention facility is characterized as temporary detention facility for detainees and their stay at this
agency is short. It consists of a corridor and two (2) cells, with a surface area of 22.45 m2 and 11.7
m2, respectively, the corridor being 17.1 m2. Each cell has its own toilet within the detention area,
for use by detainees. The cells are aired by two windows in the detention areas, a wall-mounted fan
and two air conditioners, considered adequate for the renewal of the air. As regards heating, cells
have radiators and the said air conditioners are also used for heating. There is a card phone at the
corridor, at a spot that serves the detainees of both cells. The detention facilities of this station
accommodate all unaccompanied children under protective custody according to article 118 of
presidential decree 141/91 from all agencies of the General Police Directorate of Thessaloniki.
During their stay at the agency, they are given the possibility to contact the NGO "ARSISAssociation for the Social Support of Youth". Other NGOs also visit the TDPM of Mygdonia at
times and, in addition to psychosocial support, also provide them with material support, information
and free legal representation. Their medical-pharmaceutical care is provided by the local Health
Centre of Lagadas at Thessaloniki or any Thessaloniki hospital on duty. If considered necessary,
they are also taken to the child psychiatry clinic of the hospital on duty. The agency of the TDPM of
Mygdonia, aware that the holding facilities of a police agency are not appropriate for the protective
custody of unaccompanied children, makes great efforts every day to find appropriate
accommodation centres for them. In order to keep the number of children at holding facilities as
low as possible and their stay as short as possible, the TDPM of Mygdonia notifies every day the
nearby accommodation centres, such as the NGO ARSIS, housed at the refugee centre of Diavata,
Thessaloniki, and the IRC, housed at Giannitsa, Pella. These centres, following relevant reports to
the Prosecution Service at the First Instance Court of Thessaloniki, receive some of them when they
have accommodation vacancies. The Section of Minors of the Prosecution Service at the First
Instance Court of Thessaloniki issues relevant orders for the receipt of children by these centres,
until their final placement by EKKA. If medical tests need to be carried out, they are taken to the
General Hospitals of Thessaloniki "PAPAGEORGIOU" and "G. PAPANIKOLAOU" following
consultations with these hospitals. Tests are carried out immediately on admission of the child in the
said agency, in order to be able to promptly go to an appropriate accommodation centre. It is noted
that, if detainees claim to be minors at any stage of the administrative procedure, they are
immediately taken to the holding facilities of the TDPM of Mygdonia, where the children of the
Directorate of Foreign Nationals of Thessaloniki are held, and then the procedure is initiated to
establish their nonage according to article 45§5 of Law 4375/16, articles 25 and 32 of Law 3907/11
and article 19 of presidential decree 220/07.
Paragraph 50: Recommendation to the Greek authorities to end all detention of parents with
children at the TDPM of Thessaloniki
Children are held at the TDPM of Thessaloniki as accompanied by their parents in order not to be
separated and they stay at these premises for the absolutely necessary period, less than 24 hours. As
regards the management of cases of families with children, always taking into consideration the
family life and the children's best interests, they remain for the absolutely necessary period in order
for the administrative procedure to be completed (fingerprinting, fingerprint checking, issuance and
delivery of documents to such persons). Families spend the night there only when they are taken to
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