- 32 c. material conditions 59. The special holding facilities for aliens in Mytilini, Peplos, Venna were converted (agro-) industrial warehouses/complexes which, with some refurbishment, have been turned into detention facilities. The Chios Temporary Reception Centre for irregular immigrants consisted of ten furnished containers and was located half-way up a hill, overlooking the straits towards Turkey. 60. Peplos consisted of three large dormitories with an official capacity of 70; at the time of the visit it accommodated 128 detainees. Mytilini had an official capacity of 200 and was holding 11217 detainees in four large concrete hangars (men) and two dormitories (women) – the women’s dormitories were out of sight and hearing of the custodial staff and there were no call bells. Both centres were extremely dirty and in a squalid state of repair18. The delegation found dysfunctional or no heating systems, an absence of warm water and broken windows. Further, both facilities had defective sanitary and shower arrangements; in Peplos this meant that the 128 detainees had to make use of a single functioning shower. In Peplos detainees were forced to sleep on the floor as no beds were available, and for a significant number of detainees there were not even mattresses; due to the cramped conditions, some of the detainees were forced to sleep next to the leaking shower and toilet facilities. The detainees spent most of the day locked up and access to the small outside yard was rarely provided. In both Mytilini and Peplos the blankets and the mattresses were decrepit and bug-infested, and should be replaced immediately. Moreover, the detainees were locked in their living areas most of the day, apparently receiving less than an hour of outdoor exercise every day. 61. At the time of the visit Venna was accommodating 92 irregular migrants for an official capacity of 400 and, in general, the material conditions were slightly better as the site was better maintained. The six dormitories for men had access to a sizeable outside yard, but access was rarely provided and detainees were often locked up for days with no outdoor exercise. The dormitory reserved for women had a private yard, fenced off from the men’s section, but it was only opened when female guards were on duty. Also, in an attempt to economise on costs no warm water was available. 62. Each container at the Chios centre was subdivided into three small rooms, a shower and a toilet; one of the containers was reserved for women. At the time of the visit the centre held 127 detainees for a capacity of 120. During the day detainees had free access outdoors and at night only the women’s unit was locked. In general the hygienic conditions appeared satisfactory. However, many complaints were heard about the quality and quantity of the food, and the water supply was irregular which meant that, at times, there was no drinking water. 17 18 The delegation noted from the register that on 1 January 2005 the centre was holding 588 foreigners, which rose to 602 in the middle of the month and stood at 437 on 31 January 2005. With the exception of the women’s dormitories in Mytilini, which were in a good state of repair.