4 Detention conditions and police violence ■ Detainees continuously protest against detention demanding human rights and dignity. Instead of being heard in most of the times the authorities repress violently these struggles. ■ Police violence in detention has been often reported during our missions. There is no effective complaint mechanism, no protection of the victims and impunity for the perpetrators. 1.1. Methodology and scope This report is based on data collected during our missions from August 2010 until October 20111 in the detention centres of the Evros region (Feres, Tychero, Soufli, Fylakio). In this period we have met 200 detainees, focusing on vulnerable groups (unaccompanied minors, sick people etc), asylum seekers, people in risk of being readmitted or whose deportation is feasible and/or whose registration of nationalities were clearly incorrect. We collected qualitative data, through individual interviews conducted by the two lawyers separately and each of them together with one of the two interpreters (Farsi/ Arabic/Kurdish). The interviews were carried out both with people in detention in Evros and after their release in Athens. 1. Main Findings The missions and the follow-ups have been completed with the support of the Greek Refugee Council (GCR) and specifically with the help of its lawyers in Evros. Additional information was drawn from research carried out by the Infomobile.3 Furthermoe, our co-operation with lawyers and activists in Turkey (Multeci Der4 in Izmir, Helsinki Assembly5 in Istanbul and members of Kayki-Network) was essential, both for understanding the situation of detainees and people in need of international protection in Turkey and for the follow-up of specific cases of people returned from Greece to Turkey according to the Readmission Protocol between Turkey and Greece. One of our aims was to understand the changes brought to the Greek asylum system, during the transitional procedure established by the new Presidential Decree 114/2010 and the deployment of Frontex and specifically the RABIT unit, in Evros region which is the main entrance of migrants to European territory and which by itself presents further regional particularities. Additionally, it was of special importance to gain a deep and long-term insight into the situation migrants and refugees face inside the detention centres of Evros and evaluate if there are any changes following severe international criticism about human rights violations in the area. We provided legal aid and legal representation to those in need2, and further follow up of the cases upon release in Athens. In addition we conducted interviews with UNHCR representatives as well as with other personnel working in the area (lawyers of the Greek Council for Refugees (GCR), staff of Medicines sans Frontiers (MSF), psychologists and nurses working for the Ministry for Health and Social Solidarity). 1 Strachini & Tzeferakou in Soufli and Fylakio (August 23-26, 2010); Tzeferakou & Stroux in Ferres and Tyhero (November 18-19, 2010); Tsapopoulou, Tzeferakou, Stroux in Ferres, Soufli, Tyhero & Fylakio (December 18-23, 2010); Tzeferakou, Stroux in Soufli and Fylakio (February 28-March 2, 2011); Tsapopoulou, Tzeferakou & Stroux in Ferres, Soufli, Tychero, Fylakio and Venna (April 11-16, 2011) and Tsapopoulou, Tzeferakou, Stroux in Ferres, Soufli, Tychero and Fylakio (October 7-16, 2011). 2 Legal aid was prodided for: registration of asylum claims, recourse against detention, appeals to the European Court for Human Rights, appeals against rejection of asylum claims, instances for the correction of incorrectly registered nationalities etc. 3 http://infomobile.w2eu.net/; http://infomobil-w2eu. blogspot.com/ 4 http://www.multeci.org.tr/ 5 http://www.hyd.org.tr/?sid=23