Dafni Police Department
Detention Centre- Status
- Operational
- Summary
Greek: Ααστυνομικό τμήμα Δάφνης - Υμηττού. According to testimonies from individuals detained in 2016 and 2019, the detention area of Dafni police station consists of basement cells two or three floors below ground level, shared between 10-20 people at one time. Third country nationals from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Syria have been detained here for immigration reasons, in some cases for months without legal basis. Minors from Bangladesh, Syria, Kuwait, Congo, Pakistan and Egypt have also been detained in the facility. Conditions are reportedly very poor and not designed for detention beyond a few days, with low quality food, insufficient lighting and unsanitary conditions. Detainees have extremely limited access to interpretation, medical care, NGOs and legal support.
- Country
- Coordinates
Latitude: 37.947661621023315
Longitude: 23.734829353230165
- Coordinates
- Address
- Lysiou 20 & Kanaki, 172 35 Athens
- Location area
- Urban
- Phone number to contact
- +30 210 9769831
- atdafnis@astynomia.gr
- Controlled by
- Ministry of Citizen Protection of Greece
- Founded by
- Ministry of Citizen Protection of Greece
- Type of Facility
- Police Department
- Gender
- Mixed
- Age
- Mixed
- Number of guards
- No information available
- Population demographics
- Mixed
- Analysis on Demographics
According to testimony from an individual detained in 2019, detainees were mainly third country nationals from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Syria and Afghanistan detained for immigration reasons at this time, although the facility also holds people facing criminal charges. A case brought before the ECHR, M.Y and Others vs. Greece, mentions the detention of minors (16 and 17 year olds) from Bangladesh, Syria, Kuwait, Congo, Pakistan, Egypt, Syria and Iran in Dafni police station.
- Accommodation
- Cell in police department
- Type of surveillance
- Video
- Allowed entry/exit?
- Not allowed
- Analysis on Surveillance
According to testimonies, detainees communicate with police staff through CCTV cameras installed in the detention area.
- Facility provision of legal services
- No
- Facility provision of medical assistance
- No
- Facility provision of interpretation
- No
- Facility provision of religion space
- Unknown
- Number of meals provided
- 3 per day, in police station
- Use of private security
- No
- NGO visits
- Rare
- Monitoring visits
- No visits
- Analysis on Services and Rights
As in all police stations, there is no medical care on site. According to a testimony from a person detained in 2018, medical care was only available in exceptional circumstances, for example after they expressed suicidal ideation. Detainees reportedly have access to a payphone and are allowed short visits in a separate room of the police station. People detained on immigration grounds in police stations including Dafni tend to have extremely limited access to NGOs due to their country of origin, likelihood of obtaining asylum and the conditions in the facility itself, which present barriers to accessing support.
- Pushbacks reported
- No information available
- Analysis on staff-detainee relationships
A man detained during 2018 in Dafni reported racist attitudes from police staff, including reportedly saying to detainees “we didn't invite you to this country” in response to their complaints about the conditions.
- Testimonies