Protest at the detention centre in Corinth - greece‏

http://infomobile.w2eu.net/2012/10/22/protest-at-the-detention-centre-in-corinth-reveals-inhuman-and-degrading-detention-conditions/


Protest at the detention centre in Corinth reveals inhuman and degrading
detention conditions
Published on October 22, 2012

The provisory detention centre for sans-papiers was opened about four
months ago in an overnight action by the Ministry of Citizen Protection
and Public Order. It is one of three mass detention centres – the others
are located in Xanthi and in Komotini – which were set up by the new
government in the summer to fit the thousand arrested sans-papiers
captured during the Xenios Dias sweep operation. There have been
repeated protests by the mayor of Corinth against the creation of this
detention centre. He even reached the point to cut off the water supply.

The building was originally an army camp at the outskirts of Corinth
city. Sans-papiers were arrested in massive sweeps and were brought from
various places, such as Corinth and Patras, to this detention centre. A
couple of NGOs have tried ever since to enter the prison in order to
monitor the situation, screen the detainees and offer legal aid, but
access has been denied. They could only see a hand full of detainees of
whom they had their names in advance.

Yesterday, solidarity groups from Patras and Corinth but also from other
places hold a protest in front of the detention centre. A delegation of
seven persons entered the detention centre (with 2 parliamentarians of
Syriza, a doctor, a lawyer, interpreters and citizens of Patras and
Corinth) More than 650 persons were detained in the overcrowded
detention centre for the reason of “illegal entry”, “illegal stay” or
“illegal exit” to/in/from Greece.

Detainees reported to the delegation that they were lacking warm water,
they have insufficient food, no access to information and lawyers and
seldom visits of doctors always without any interpreters, many lack
medicine they need to take and thus remain sick in their cells.
Among the detainees were many minors, there were family fathers whose
families upon their arrest were left behind without anyone to take care,
there were persons who wanted to apply for asylum but could not manage
and others who had applied 4 months earlier but were not released within
the legal maximum period of detention for asylum seekers (3 months).
Others had managed to apply for asylum but received during detention the
rejection and lacked any information and legal aid to appeal within the
given period of 15 days, therefore, falling out of the asylum system.
Reportedly, there are also many cases of ill-treatment by the authorities.

No concentration camps!
Never and nowhere!