“Why Are You Keeping Me Here?” Unaccompanied Children Detained in Greece Greek authorities registered more than 3,300 unaccompanied asylum-seeking and other migrant children in the first seven months of 2016. Many had fled violence and conflict in their home countries such as Syria and Afghanistan and arrived alone in Greece, their point of entry to the European Union. The country’s longstanding shortage of shelter space for children has grown particularly acute in the context of Europe’s ongoing refugee crisis. In the absence of sufficient, suitable accommodation, Greek authorities routinely detain unaccompanied children in police stations and detention centers, justifying it as a temporary protection measure in children’s best interest. In practice it is anything but. “Why Are You Keeping Me Here?:” Unaccompanied Children Detained in Greece, based on interviews with 42 children, documents the Greek authorities’ arbitrary detention of unaccompanied children in unhygienic, degrading conditions in which they are vulnerable to physical abuse, as well as lack of access to care, protection, and other services. The situations documented not only violate children’s right to liberty but often constitute inhumane and degrading treatment. The Greek government should put an end to the unjustified detention of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and ensure that there are sufficient and suitable alternatives to detention. The European Union should provide resources to support Greece’s efforts. Greece and European Union member states should intensify efforts to relocate unaccompanied asylum-seeking children out of Greece including through family reunification with family members living in other EU countries. Unaccompanied children line up for an evening meal at a detention facility run by the Greek police. © 2015 Kelly Lynn Lunde hrw.org