The facility is divided in three sections.

Main section

The men housed in the main section are huddled together in spaces designed as single-occupancy cells (each 9 square metres) behind iron doors with very little natural light and no access to an exercise yard. International human rights organizations have repeatedly expressed their concerns over severe overcrowding and unhygienic conditions at this part of the airport facility. So, too, the European Court of Human Rights has found in the judgment in M.S.S. that the conditions of detention of third country nationals in the Athens airport detention centre violated the prohibition on inhuman or degrading treatment in Article 3. As early as in 2005, the CPT had reported that treatment was unacceptable; men had had no shower in 7 days and another man held for more than 40 days had not been able to change his clothes or have access to fresh air. A delegation by Amnesty International visited the facility both in 2009 and 2010. During both visits overcrowding was so high that at times reached 145 people. These men had to sleep on mattresses or blankets placed directly on the floor. When it was crowded like this, the men could not all lie down and sleep at the same time. The cramped nature of the cells was documented in 2012 too. During summer the heat in the cells and the stench was reported as unbearable.

As there are no in-cell toilets, a consistent criticism over the years has been that there are severe difficulties in gaining access to the toilets (see here, here and here). Detainees have to knock on the door to be let out to use the toilet. With no outdoor space provided, their only physical movement is limited to going to the toilet for a few minutes in the morning and the evening. Amnesty International delegates observed that some people who were allowed to go to the toilet were holding a plastic water bottle half or almost completely full of urine. The police authorities admitted to them that in every cell detainees used plastic bottles for their toilet needs which they emptied when they were allowed to go to the toilet. Evidence from 2012 has revealed that at all other times they were locked inside their cells with nothing to do. Other rules restrained them: they were not allowed to smoke more than three cigarettes; they were not given cutlery for ‘security’ reasons and conditions of hygiene were never properly observed leading to the transmission of contagious diseases.

Behind the cells there is an extremely dirty corridor visible through the cell bars. On the other side of it, the windows are frosted so there is some natural light but no view of the outside. There is a waste bin below each cell window. The outside space beyond the frosted glass is inaccessible to detainees because there is no fence to keep them secured.

The CPT visit in 2016 had concluded that conditions in the airport facility were largely adequate, but also noted the following:

‘.. once again, the delegation heard many complaints that detainees were not let out of the cells when they requested to go to the toilet. Local staff said that the average length of detention would not exceed a few days; however, consultation of the custody register revealed that four Syrians had been held in the centre for periods of two to four months, another foreign national had been held for more than six months and many others had been detained for more than one month. Further, at times, between seven and 11 persons were held in these cells for prolonged periods, as was the case in December 2012, January 2013 and at the beginning of April 2013; such a gross level of overcrowding leading to 1 m² or less of living space per person constitutes in itself inhuman treatment. A cell of 9 m² should not accommodate more than two persons. It is also essential that an outdoor exercise yard be brought into service.’

NGO AITIMA visited the centre that same year and noted that pre-removal detainees were locked up 24 hours a day, while those detained upon entry could only move about in limited indoor space. Detainees did not receive personal hygiene products and had no access to any recreational activities.

There was no evidence of previous levels of overcrowding during another research visit in 2018. There were one or two, or in one cell three, concrete plinths with mattresses, blankets and pillows, either on the plinths or on the floor. In some cells there was no room to move around because the mattresses took up all the floor space. There were four men in four of the cells and three in most of the others. One cell held a single man who the police considered to be a more serious risk – this was because he was thought to be a human smuggler.

Yet, the researchers observed that the cells were dirty and cramped. There was graffiti in every cell, some of it offensive. For example, in one cell there was a large drawing of a woman with spread legs. In another, there was a prominent swastika on the cell door. There were many country names written on the walls by detainees, with Syria, Afghanistan and Kurdistan particularly prominent. The light switch for the cells was outside the door meaning that detainees could not independently control the lighting. Researchers were told the police gave detainees around half an hour in the canteen area by way of relief if the numbers were high. The canteen area had two vending machines with snacks, drinks and sandwiches. Detainees were allowed to carry 100 euros on them. Cash in excess of this and other valuables were kept in a safe. Ιnformation about legal help on the noticeboards was all in Greek and very few detainees could understand it. Three men in one cell said they were unable to use the telephone because they had no money on their phone cards. They said that they could not get legal help. Medicines were not allowed in detainees’ possession as the police were concerned about detainees overdosing. Another man said he had problems with his heart and had not seen a doctor, and claimed his prescribed medication had been confiscated, in line with previous reporting about the centre.

Family and women’s area

Women, minors and arrivals are allowed relative freedom of movement in that section. However, in 2009 Amnesty International reported having seen a number of children, held together with their families and a woman who was clearly in an advanced stage of pregnancy. When a research team visited the facility in 2018, five women and one child were held in the area across three rooms. There were two reasonably clean bathrooms. The rooms had bunk beds and the doors were left open to allow some freedom of movement. There was graffiti in this area, although the majority of it looked like children’s drawings and was colourful and inoffensive. Women reported concerns about their lack of legal support and uncertainty about what was happening with their cases.

Transit zone

Men held in this area are arrested trying to enter Greece without valid authorisation. They were not subject to any current criminal charges; however, some may have had a criminal charge in Greece previously, which prevented them from entering the country.

As a research team noticed in 2018, the rooms in this section were more spacious than in the main men’s corridor. They had bunk beds and space to move around, but were featureless and in some places dirty. There were six bunkbeds in one room which, at the time of the visit, held two men. The doors to the rooms were open, allowing some limited free movement in the small detention area. Both men were unhappy about the conditions they were in.

As documented elsewhere, a regime of de facto detention applies in the case of persons held there. These people receive an entry ban to the Greek territory and are then arrested and held in order to be returned on the next available flight. Those who are temporarily held while awaiting departure are not systematically recorded in a register. However, those who express intention to apply for asylum are detained for up to 28 days after full registration of their application according to the Border Procedure, with no detention decision issued; thus remaining de facto detained. Where no decision is taken within 28 days, the person is released for the application to be examined according to the Regular Procedure. According to the police authorities the persons held there are considered under ‘supervision’ and not detention.

In December 2023, the CPT visited the airport facility as part of an ad hoc visit to the country and the report is due to come soon.