Namely, on 31 December 2024, the CCAC of Chios, with a reported capacity of 1,014 places, was hosting 1,020 people, the CCAC of Samos, with a reported capacity of 3,664, was hosting 4,126, and the Lesvos CCAC with a reported capacity of 3,871 was hosting 3,836. Only the facilities of Leros and Kos were operating below capacity, with the CCAC of Leros hosting 1,691 persons (nominal capacity of 2,152) and the CCAC of Kos 1,506 (nominal capacity of 3,455). 1034 That being said, as per observations in the field in 2022, which were renewed in 2023 and 2024, reported capacity does not necessarily equate to the actual capacity of CCACs. For instance, as reported during the Lesvos Inter-Agency Coordination Meeting, which operates under UNHCR, on 19 January 2022, due to increased arrivals, the CCAC Director had informed that shelter availability in the Lesvos CCAC had become scarce, impacting on living conditions. Yet at the time, the CCAC reportedly hosted 1,920 persons, which was significantly less than the facility’s reported capacity, which, as per official data, stood at 8,000 places at the time.1035 Likewise, in September 2023, RSA reported the overnight increase in the officially reported capacity for the Samos CCAC, which without any explanation was increased from 2,040 to 3,659 places. 1036 Beyond overcrowding, testimonies refer to conditions of confinement and excessive surveillance. At the same time, there are significant recurring shortages, particularly of medical and psychosocial staff, interpretation services, and of basic necessities (food, bedding, hot water, milk intended for children, medication) and decent accommodation. Indicatively, in the same report, RSA highlights how during 2023 new arrivals in the Samos CCAC were forced to sleep on the floor, without mattresses, in a room originally intended to serve as a restaurant, due to the lack of actual accommodation places. Additionally, those residing in the public areas are subjects of constant surveillance, as the CCTV System inside the restaurant operates unceasingly on a 24/7 basis, violating the individual's privacy.1037 As inter alia noted by the CPT in 20241038: ❖ ‘The […] centres are usually located away from the main urban areas on the islands and are characterised by their imposing security measures. The CCACs, as observed in Kos and Samos, are surrounded by a double security fence topped with rolls of barbed wire, and feature control systems such as turnstiles, magnetic gates, x-ray scanners and two-factor access control (identity and fingerprint) at the entrance. Each accommodation section of the CCAC is also surrounded by a security fence topped with barbed wire and a turnstile identity control system. Private security companies control access to the centre and are responsible for carrying out checks and body searches on all persons wishing to enter or leave the centres. In addition, a CCTV monitoring system has been installed throughout the CCACs, using “smart” software to ensure early warning about any incidents, with images streamed to the Hellenic Police and the Control Centre at the Ministry for Migration and Asylum in Athens.’ ❖ ‘The CPT considers that the use of barbed wire on the multiple perimeter security fences surrounding each section of the CCACs, including those accommodating families, women, children and persons with special needs and vulnerabilities, is excessive and unnecessary, and should be removed.’ ❖ ‘The CCACs have the potential to offer better living conditions for migrants and asylum seekers for periods of up to a few months. However, they face significant shortcomings in legal assistance, healthcare provision, vulnerability assessment and interpretation services, and the basic reception and protection needs of applicants for international protection are often not met. Further, the excessive security and barbed wire fencing make the CCACs unsuitable for accommodating children and persons in a vulnerable situation.’ 1034 1035 1036 1037 1038 Ibid. For instance, see NCCBCIA, National Situational Picture Regarding the Islands at Eastern Aegean Sea (19/01/2022), 20 January 2022 and National Situational Picture Regarding the Islands at Eastern Aegean Sea (31/12/2022), 1 January 2023. Both can also be accessed on the MoMA’s website at: https://bit.ly/3OFlP83, under the label ‘National Situation: Migrant and Refugee Issue’. RSA, Disgraceful living conditions in the ‘state-of-the-art’ Closed Controlled Access Centre (CCAC) of Samos, 6 February 2024, available at: https://bit.ly/3WelY5Z. RSA, What is happening today in the refugee structures on the Aegean islands, May 2023, available at: https://bit.ly/40ZUNus. CPT, Report to the Greek Government on the visit to Greece carried out by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) from 20 November to 1 December 2023, 12 July 2024, available at: https://tinyurl.com/e265xv58, paras. 104-106. Also see GCR, Submission to the UN Human Rights Committee, Greece’s State Party Report, 142nd Session, 14 October-7 November 2024, September 2024, pp. 10-14, available at: https://tinyurl.com/js28d9s8. 195