M. and M.J. (17), from Afghanistan47 / Ancona – Patra why. I even showed them my Greek paper, where I was also registered as a minor. I thought they do not deport minors. They brought me also back to the ship. It was only then, I realized that I would M was readmitted from Ancona with his friend M.J. be deported back to Greece. I burst into tears. The Italian officers grabbed me from my hair and kicked M. starts telling us their story: “We arrived in Italy me. at the end of April (2012). I was together with my th friend. We were hiding under a truck. When the I was brought in a room on the 5 floor of the ship arrived in Italy they found us. I suppose the ship, where I found my friend M. They then locked truck driver understood we were hiding, because the metal door behind me. It smelled bad. We he suddenly started braking, as if he wanted us complained a lot and they took us in another room, to fall down. Then he stopped and they checked the “cinema” and locked the door behind us. We under the truck. They saw me and pulled me out. were given food and water and were allowed to The driver was drunk. The Italians were in blue use the bathroom once. uniforms. There were two men and two women. When we arrived at the port of Patras, the Greek One of the officers kicked me and asked if there officers handcuffed us and we were taken to the were others hiding. I was afraid and told them old port. They tightly handcuffed us, as if we were a there was one more. We were on the big ANEK. danger for them, as if we had killed many persons. Then, they handcuffed us. We were both taken to It was around 2pm. After staying there for about the police station, close to the port. My friend is three hours, we were released.” younger than me. He is a minor. They fingerprinted me. They then immediately returned me to the ship. It was in the afternoon.” A.A. (15), from Afghanistan48 / Ancona - Igoumenitsa His young friend M.J. joins us and continues: “The first thing I told the Italian officers was that I am a minor and that my brother is in Austria. I want to go to my brother. When my friend M. was brought back to the ship, a woman entered the office. She was very kind and gave me some water. She then called an interpreter and he asked me whether I want to apply for asylum. I said: “Yes!” He then went on translating by phone, the woman’s questions: “Do you want to stay in Italy?” I said again: “Yes.” He then asked me whether I have been fingerprinted in Greece and I confirmed. The woman with the help of the interpreter asked me if I have any papers from Greece, how many times had I tried to reach Italy, where I am from… We kept talking for almost 10-15 minutes. The woman told me I would stay in Italy as I am a minor and that they had to take me to the hospital for an X-ray. I saw the doctor in the hospital who checked my X-ray and then wrote on a paper, sixteen. I suppose this was my estimated age. When they brought me back to the police station, the friendly woman was no longer there. There was one of the officers. I was afraid of him. It seemed he did not like me. I think he did not care that I was a minor. They also took a photo of me. They made me sign three papers. I don’t know 47 Interview held on May 11, 2012 in Patras “One month and twenty days ago, we were two hiding under a truck, that had arrived at the port of Ancona. It was around 6pm. I am a minor. It is even written on my Greek paper. I showed it later to the Italian authorities. They took the paper and tore it up. The truck driver found us when the ship arrived at the port of Ancona. When the hatch of the ship opened, we ran towards it. We were caught just there, at the exit. They brought us to a big room of the Superfast. They did not ask us any questions. I was not brought to the hospital for any age assessment. They just asked me to sign a paper, but I could not understand why. I cried a lot, because they beat us so much. We were once beaten when we reached the hatch of the ship. The Italian officers beat us in the room where we were then locked. They took 85 euro from me. I had that money in my pocket. They beat me a lot! They then asked me to run in circles around myself and I was forced to take off my clothes. They even pulled my boxer shorts up to my belly and forced me run in circles around myself again. My friend was beaten 48 I. (15) Interview held on May 11, 2012 in Patras. See also case of 19