Coping with a fundamental rights emergency – The situation of people crossing the Greek border in an irregular manner summarised by the European Court of Human Rights, these reports “describe a similar situation to varying degrees of gravity: overcrowding, dirt, lack of space, lack of ventilation, little or no possibility of taking a walk, no place to relax, insufficient mattresses, dirty mattresses, no free access to toilets, inadequate sanitary facilities, no privacy, limited access to care […] [as well as complaints] of insults, particularly racist insults, proffered by staff and the use of physical violence by guards.”34 The table below provides a snapshot of the situation found by the FRA in these facilities, either based on direct on‐site observations by the FRA during the mission or obtained from interviews and further research. All facilities are seriously overcrowded, making it difficult to ensure separation by sex as well as separation of children from unrelated adults. Nor is it possible to separate persons kept in temporary detention, from those who have already obtained a removal decision and are held beyond three days. Table 1: Overview of detention facilities in Evros region Separation of sexes (except families) Separation of unac‐ companied minors yes no no no 1 One cell, approx. 110m² during FRA visit only men were held no 7 Women cell approx. 40 m2 and other 6 cells approx. 100 m2 each no no Capacity (persons) Detained during FRA visit (persons) No of cells Feres 30 140 ‐ 150 3 Tychero 45 140 ‐ 150 2 Facility Soufli Fylakio 38 374 140 ‐ 150 Approx. 450 2 Space in m One cell of 48m², one of 30m² and one of approx. 40m² Two cells of 35m² (CPT, 2005) Source: FRA The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment recommends 4m² of space per detainee in multi‐occupancy accommodation.35 The Hellenic Federation of Border Guards on 22 January 2011 protested on its website36 about the conditions of detention: “The conditions of detention, but also the conditions of work in all reception and detention centres are unacceptable. The detention facilities at the border region are not suitable for long term stay in detention. The conditions are dangerous both for the irregular migrants detained, as well as for the staff, who stay there for several months. An immediate solution must be found, so that a large number of border guards currently engaged 34 ECtHR, M.S.S. v. Belgium and Greece, No. 30696/09, 21 January 2011, para. 162. 35 CPT, Report to the government of Greece on the visit to Greece carried out by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) from 17 to 29 September 2009, 2010, p. 38. 36 Available (in Greek) at: www.posyfy.gr. 26