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Content
1. MAIN FINDINGS 3
1.1. Methodologie and scope 4
2. EVROS IN THE CONTEXT OF GREEK AND
EUROPEAN MIGRATION (2010-2011) 5
2.1. The Greek asylum reform: Where are
the improvements? 5
2.2 The humanitarian crisis in Evros and
the military response 6
2.3 Evros today 8
2.4 The European Hypocrisy 10
2.5 Conclusion 10
3. EVROS ...................................................................... 11
4. REFOULEMENT, READMISSIONS AND
DEPORTATIONS ....................................................... 14
4.1. The Readmission Agreement between
Greece and Turkey 15
4.2.1. Readmission of vulnerable persons 17
4.2.2. Readmission of asylum seekers 18
5. REGISTRATION AND SCREENING:
A WHEEL OF MISFORTUNE ..................................... 21
6. DETENTION AND DETENTION CENTRES ................ 26
6.1. Detention 26
6.2. Detention of asylum seekers 28
6.3. Detention conditions 29
6.3.1. Tychero borderguard station 30
6.3.2. Feres borderguard station 31
6.3.3. Soufli borderguard station 32
6.3.4. Fylakio detention centre 35
6.4. Recent changes in detention practice 37
6.5. Other detention centres: the example of Venna 39
7. HEALTH .................................................................... 40
7.1. Detention causes sickness 41
7.2. Ineffective screening at arrival 41
7.3. Insufficient number of specialised medical staff,
inadequate medical infrastructure, inefficient
medication and lack of co-ordination on the part
of the authorities 42
7.4. Access and communication with doctors 42
7.5. Inadequate response to health emergencies 44
7.6. Lack of psychlogical care and support 45
7.7. Treatment of vulnerable groups 46
7.8. Lack of medical information and access to medical
attestation 47
8. LACK OF LEGAL SAFEGUARDS ............................... 48
8.1. Lack of information 48
8.2. Access to the outside world 49
8.3. Interpreters
8.4. The right to have a lawyer and obstacles
to legal aid 49
8.4.1. Ineffective access to lawyers 49
8.4.2. Lack of legal aid 50
8.4.3. Legal aid provided by NGOs 50
8.4.4. Access to the files 51
8.4.5. Lack of a proper place to meet
with the lawyers 51
8.4.6. Arbitrary denial of registration
of documents 51
8.5. Lack of safeguards against deportation 52
8.6. Lack of legal remedies against detention 52
8.6.1. Case law of Administrative Court of Alexandroupolis – ineffective judical review 53
9. ASYLUM AND THE ASYLUM PROCEDURE
IN DETENTION ......................................................... 56
9.1. Access to asylum and risk of refoulement 56
9.2 Lack of guarantees in the asylum procedure
in detention 60
9.2.1. First interview 60
9.2.2. Lost documents or other personal items,
denial to accept submitted documents
in foreign language and no translation
mechanism for documents 61
9.3 Decicions and appeals 61
9.4 Withdrawal from asylum procedure 62
9.5 Upon release: Lack of reception facilities –
effects on the asylum procedure 63
10. MINORS .................................................................... 66
10.1 Detention conditions 66
10.2 Duration of detention 69
10.3 Inappropriate guardianship 69
10.4 Wrong registration and screening 69
10.5 After release 74
11. VIOLENCE ................................................................. 75
11.1 Ill-treatment by the police 75
11.2 Sexuell harassment 79
11.3 Lack of safeguards against violence 80
12. HUNGER STRIKES .................................................... 81
13. LOST AND DEAD AT THE BORDERS ........................ 87
13.1. Survivors in detention 87
13.2. Death at the border 88
14. ATTACHMENTS ........................................................ 93