SERRES CAMP Image: Google Earth Official name: Coordinates: Nominal capacity⁹⁸: Operational/actual capacity: Residents: Beneficiaries of reception conditions: Beneficiaries of special reception conditions: Administrative staff: Medical staff: Ratio of residents to medical staff: Distance to nearest health services⁹⁹: Distance to nearest urban centre (Serres): Serres Controlled Access Facility for the Temporary Accommodation of Asylum Seekers / Ελεγχόμενη Δομή Προσωρινής Φιλοξενίας αιτούντων άσυλο Σερρών 41.071824, 23.548974 1578 1578 1244 610 150 22 9 138:1 4.2 km 4 km History Serres camp was established in 2016 with the support of IOM and is located on the south side of Serres, 100 km north of Thessaloniki. The camp’s population has historically been dominated by Yazidis from northern Iraq, many of whom arrive spontaneously after having crossed the Evros land border and without having previously undergone registration procedures. Although this population is generally accepted into the camp and transferred to Diavata RIC for registration, in September 2022 approximately 120 Yazidis slept outside the camp for weeks after being refused entrance, reportedly due to capacity issues¹⁰⁰. In 2022¹⁰¹, residents were reportedly forced to leave their accommodation containers¹⁰² and move to a more dilapidated part of the camp, to make space for newly arrived Ukrainian nationals who hold Temporary Protection residence permits in Greece. Despite being hailed as a ‘model’ camp among the mainland structures¹⁰³, living conditions have been described as undignified and the Greek Ombudsperson noted numerous deficiencies following a visit in December 2023: shortages of medicines, lack of heating in some accommodation for vulnerable persons, and lack of available Kurmanji interpreters for medical visits within the camp were noted in the follow up report¹⁰⁴. In March 2023 the then Minister of Migration Dimitris Keridis visited¹⁰⁵ Serres camp, emphasising the facility’s role in providing workers for the local economy and job opportunities in the 22 region.