7. Health 7.6. Lack of psychological care and support All detainees in Evros region have experienced the traumatic event of leaving their countries. Some of them have also been victim to violence, torture and other atrocities in their home countries, as well as during their trip. These experiences substantially affect their mental health. In Evros prefecture, they are kept in degrading and hostile environments, which further deteriorates their mental health problems. There is an insufficient number of psychologists and interpreters for providing adequate support for all detainees. »In prison, I was constantly afraid.« S.G. (17), from Iran146 ■ S.G., an Iranian dissident, is an unaccompanied minor, who attained full age while being detained in the borderguard station of Tychero. He most likely was a victim of torture in Iran, with noticeable scars on his body. From the very beginning of his detention, at the beginning of April 2011, he has suffered from psychological problems. At his arrest on the first days of April he was registered as 18 years old. A deportation decision was issued on April 9, 2011. When the mission’s team first met him in April, he said his real age was 17. He was feared the long detention periods for minors, so he said he was older. He said he was afraid to apply for asylum because of the detention conditions. He had heard terrible things about the situation of asylum seekers and refugees in Greece, and about they were treated by the police. He was kept in cell no. 1, along with 170 other men. He had never been examined by a doctor or a psychologist, he did not know his rights and had no information about the reason and the duration of his detention. He did not know he was facing the risk of deportation. In April, the mission’s team intervened with a fax, stating that he was a minor, allegedly a victim of torture and that he needed psychological support. Only after repeated interventions of a GCR-lawyer did he get the chance to visit a psychologist. On 12.5.2011 he turned 18 during detention. He decided to finally claim asylum because 146 S.G. from Iran; April 13, 2011 – Tychero; July 2011 – Athens 45 Until November 2010, there was only one psychologist for all detention centres in Evros’ (including Venna). In October 2011, there was no psychologist in Fylakio, while there was only one for Feres, Tychero and Soufli. For instance, in December 2010, there was an unaccompanied minor (15 years old) from Bagdad in Tychero, who had experienced violence in his country of origin and who was in need of psychological support. In April 2011, we met a woman in Feres who had reportedly been raped but still did not get any psychological support. In Fylakio, in October 2011, there was a family who had lost their children in the river while crossing the border. The incident was registered. Nevertheless, they had no psychological support and were not released. he feared deportation back to Iran where he would be exposed to the danger of imprisonment and death. The lawyer intervened many times to make sure his claim is registered. »In prison, I felt constantly afraid.« On July 5, 2011, he was diagnosed with a psychological disorder. The attestation said amongst others: »[…] he alleges he has been tortured […]. During his detention he showed symptoms of a depression, a difficulty to sleep and suicidal thoughts«147. It seems that he signed a paper to withdraw from his asylum request. The police inaccurately and misleadingly told him that he has to withdraw from his asylum claim in order to be released. »I was disappointed that it took the authorities more than one month to register my claim, and I saw that another Iranian refugee, who had retreated from his asylum claim, was released the next day. So I thought this might happen also to me.« On July 7, 2011, he learned that his detention was to be ended, supposedly on the basis of his medical problems. He was required to leave the country within 30 days, due to a pending deportation order. Even though his detention was ended of his medical problems, his release was delayed for more than one month after the registration of the doctor’s attestation. Later, he was arrested again, facing the risk of expulsion. 147 Medical diagnosis dated on 5.7.2011 by the psychologist visiting the detention centre.