048965
Testimony- Testimony collected by
- Oxford University researchers
- Date and location recorded
- Athens April 2026
- Detention centre related
- Detention Centre Country
- Greece
- Duration of detention
- 1 - 2 months
- Nationality
- Cameroon
- Gender
- Male
- Type of arrest
- Mass/sweep
- Why was the respondent detained?
- Undocumented
- Detained before?
- No
- Was the respondent informed of the duration of detention?
- No
- Did the respondent experience any violence?
- Witnessed
- Type of violence experienced
- Medical neglect
- Physical violence
- Did the respondent have access to translation?
- Not applicable
- Did the respondent have access to medical aid?
- Yes, but insufficient
- Did the respondent have access to NGOs?
- No
- Did the respondent have access to legal support?
- Private lawyer
- Did the respondent apply for asylum?
- Yes
- Had conflicts with other detainees?
- No
- Meal quality
- Very poor
- Meal quantity
- 3 per day
- Had access to water?
- Yes
- Had access to outdoor space?
- Yes
- Had access to electricity?
- Unlimited
- Had access to bed?
- Yes
- Narrative
The respondent is a man from Cameroon who was detained at Amygdaleza Pre-Removal Detention Centre (PRDC) for two months in 2023. He was reportedly arrested in central Athens after he was unable to provide identification documents to police officers, and was then taken to a police station. From there, he was reportedly transferred in a medium-sized police vehicle that made several stops, including at Petrou Ralli (Tavros) PRDC, before arriving at Amygdaleza PRDC. He was reportedly not told where he was being taken and only learned his destination on arrival at the centre. The respondent described living and health conditions in Amygdaleza as highly inadequate. Detainees were accommodated in containers, and cleaning was reportedly carried out infrequently so detainees organised amongst themselves to clean their accommodation spaces. He described the centre as very dirty, with cockroaches, cats feeding on food waste, and extreme heat. The food was reportedly of poor quality, stale and mouldy. Medical care was reportedly limited to nurses, with no doctors present, and the respondent stated that he did not receive adequate treatment for his heart condition despite requesting it from the authorities. He also raised concerns about the detention of people with mental health conditions, stating that the facility was not appropriate for their needs. Although he described relations among detainees as generally peaceful, he reported feeling unsafe because of the hostile attitude of police towards detainees. He alleged that police violence took place in concealed spaces, such as inside accommodation containers, from which other detainees were reportedly removed so that there would be no witnesses. He also reported that outsiders' access to the centre was highly restricted.