significant increase in returns. At the same time, it would send a strong deterrent signal to thirdcountry nationals planning to enter Greece, and thus the EU territory, unauthorized. 85 The aim of the indefinite and indiscriminate detention, thus, was two-fold: (1) to increase the return rate, in the short-term, in particular voluntary return among detained migrants (2) to discourage irregular arrivals in the medium and long term. Detention Facilities In line with this policy, there are currently four types of facilities, in which an irregular migrant in Greece may in practice be held with a view to be returned to his/her home country. Many of these facilities have actually existed for years; following a recent series of renovations they reopened with a new name and categorization. Table 13. Detention Facilities in Greece Type Target Group Main Source of funding Pre-Removal Centres Irregular migrants under return procedure European Return Fund Special Holding Facilities Irregular migrants under return procedure European Return Fund Border Guard Units Irregular migrants, awaiting transfer to shelters or preremoval centres External Borders Fund Police Stations Irregular migrants National Resources Pre-Removal Centres & Special Holding Facilities Pre-removal and special holding facilities are Greece's typical detention centres. Special holding facilities have existed since 2008. The first “pre-removal” centre, Amygdaleza, opened its doors in 2012. The purpose of both types of establishment is to facilitate removal process of irregular migrants. From a legal perspective, there is no difference between these two categories, as the Greek law itself does not categorize further the type of establishments in which irregular migrants should be held. In fact, in many respects, both kinds of facilities have been operating under a rather unclear legal framework for many years. In 2013, an “Internal Regulation of 85 Ibid. Page 41