period was over. As such, children were not separated from adults while being
de facto detained in the quarantine zones of the CCAC and were required to
share dormitories with adults, in violation of European and Greek law.[107] Of
particular concern are reports that children were witnesses to violence and illtreatment in the quarantine zones of the CCAC,[108] which is covered in more
detail in Section 3.2 of this report.
Accompanied children
For accompanied children, they are dependent on the status of their guardian
and as such are detained and/or have their liberty restricted at the same time
and with the same intensity as their family member/guardian. At the time of
writing accompanied children are de facto detained upon arrival to the CCAC
and are subject to detention for up to 25 days (See Section 3.3 below).
Unaccompanied children
Whereas official numbers in January 2023 cited that 15 UACs are held in the
Samos CCAC,[109] actors in the CCAC estimate that there are currently over 70
UACs detained in the so-called "safe-zone", suggesting official numbers
under-report the amount of children detained in the CCAC. When UACs enter
the CCAC they are automatically transferred to the so-called "safe-zone" of the
CCAC. UACs are only permitted to leave the "safe-zone" for 2 hours of "free time"
a day where they can play in Section A of the CCAC only.
Other than i) being taken to the hospital, where they must be accompanied
both by a guardian and the police, or ii) attending the informal education NGO
Alkezei for classes, UACs are not allowed to leave the CCAC. This combination
of restriction of liberty to a confined space of the CCAC for 22 hours a day,
combined with the general rule that they cannot leave the wider structure of
the CCAC has resulted in UACs expressing that they feel like they are detained
in a prison within a prison.
[107] Committee of the Parties to the Council of Europe Convention on the protection of children
against sexual exploitation and sexual abuse (January 30, 218), Special report further to a visit
undertaken by a delegation of the Lanzarote Committee to transit zones at the Serbian/Hungarian
border (5-7 July 2017). Available here.
[108] Border Violence Monitoring Network. 2022. Illegal Pushbacks and Border Violence Reports November 2022. Available here.
[109] Hellenic Ministry of Migration and Asylum. 2023. Ανατολικό Αιγαίο 22.01.23. Available here.
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