- 29 50. The CPT understands that in the first couple of years when the numbers of irregular migrants entering Greece rose dramatically, the Greek authorities had to take immediate ad hoc measures to cope with the sudden influx. Hence, the use of police stations and holding facilities on a short-term, temporary basis was comprehensible. However, given the location of Greece in Europe and its long land and sea borders it has been evident for some years now that the influx was likely to remain high. The building of the new special holding facilities for foreigners thus represented an opportunity for Greece to adopt an approach more in line with the norms and standards developed within Europe. Regrettably, the authorities have maintained a carceral approach, often in threadbare conditions and with no purposeful activities and minimal health provision, for persons who are neither convicted nor suspected of a criminal offence and who have, as described by many Greek interlocutors, often experienced harrowing journeys to arrive in Greece. The CPT recommends that the Greek authorities fundamentally revise their approach towards the accommodation of immigration detainees, in the light of the above remarks. b. ill-treatment 51. The delegation heard allegations of ill treatment by staff in both the Mytilini and Venna special holding facilities for Aliens. 52. In the Venna Special Holding facility, in the Rodopi region, the CPT’s delegation met eleven foreigners who claimed to have been ill-treated by the staff of the facility. Two medical members of the CPT’s delegation examined all eleven persons individually on 4 September 2005; by way of example, reference is made to three persons: a) One person alleged that he was repeatedly beaten with a stick and kicked on his legs, in the six days prior to the visit by the CPT’s delegation, in the yard adjacent to the wards; he displayed two purple bruises on the left posterior thigh (12 cm x 9 cm and 2 cm x 2 cm, respectively); a reddish-purplish bruise (8 cm x 4 cm) on the right lower leg; a purplish bruise (2 cm x 2 cm) on the right posterior thigh; a purplish-blue bruise (9 cm x 1 cm ) on the left inner thigh; and a bruise (2 cm in diameter) under the left eye; b) Another person alleged that he was beaten with a stick on his shoulder and arm four days prior to the delegation’s visit; he bore two identical tramline red bruises (4 cm x 2 mm) on the left sub-scapular region; and an area of bruising (7 cm x 7 cm) on the left upper arm; c) A third person alleged that he was beaten with a stick on his back and shoulder and received a blow to the forehead with a knee two days prior to the delegation’s visit; he displayed two identical tramline bruises (21 cm x 2 mm) across the middle of the back; two tramline bruises (10 cm by 2 mm) in the right scapular region; two tramline bruises (10 cm x 2 mm) on the left anterior abdomen; and a linear abrasion (2.5 cm) on the right forehead.