Accounts from the Inside: The Detention Centres of Evros
new report by Pro Asyl
Obviously, Europe’s main concern is the creation of »walls« in order to hinder or to prevent the access to its territory. Physical walls like the fence, the moat and border controls in Evros but also invisible walls that are constituted by the lack of protection to those in need, rights denials, systematic detention, detention and living conditions violating human dignity, Readmission Agreements and the Dublin II Regulation. The effects of these heightening walls have their most tragic face in the many lost and dead at border. This is why we chose to speak about walls of shame in this report.
information with, about and for refugees in Greece
Tag Archive for 'turkey'
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Press release of the Transborder Conference that took place in Istanbul 14-18.3.12 at the detention center of Edirne close to the Turkish/Greek border
The border is the problem!
The new Edirne Detention Centre
We are standing outside a new, luxurious building. But this building is not built for a social purpose.
On the contrary, it is a detention center, a prison for people who have committed no crime;
people who were arrested while crossing the borders. Migrants are all the more criminalized,
described and treated as a menace by the Governments and the authorities.
Continue reading ‘Protest at the Detention Center in Edirne, Turkey: The border is the problem!’
Caught up in the sea between Turkey and Greece for some days Afghan refugees suffer from hunger and thirst.
As announced by a GCR Press Release from the 31st of October 2011 the authorities of Evros and Rhodopi prefectures continue to readmit persons in need of international protection to Turkey where they are exposed to the danger of refoulement to their countries of origin.
On the 25th of September three Iranian detainees from Fylakio detention centre were readmitted to Turkey. They had informed the authorities about their wish to claim asylum. A GCR lawyer had sent a fax also informing the authorities about their cases. However, their claims were never registered.
On the 10th of October two Iranian nationals from Sapes detention centre in Rhodopi and on the 24th of October another two Iranian detainees were readmitted to Turkey although the authorities had been informed also in their cases by a GCR lawyer about their wish to claim asylum. In these cases the police misguided the detainees giving them papers to sign in Greek which they could not understand. The detainees thought they are signing their asylum claims, however, what they really signed was a declaration that they do not wish to apply for asylum.
See: Press Release GCR (in Greek)
Evros: Push-back of Afghan unaccompanied minor October 2007
The fourth time I tried to enter Greece I came through Evros. The police arrested me and my friend who was also as young as me. We had to discuss a lot until they accepted us to be Afghans. They did not give us food until the next day. Nobody asked how old we are. They only asked our names. They brought us to Tyhero prison, they took our money and mobile phones. We were 200 persons in each cell – in total 400, I think. At least it was like in this in the night we were deported. Minors and adults were all together. We stayed five days. Then they put 50 of us into a truck in the night. After one hour we arrived at the river. We were waiting inside the truck. There was the sound of the Turkish soldiers. We could hear it inside the truck. They started again driving. In another place near the river on a dust road we were told to leave the truck in groups of 20. There were soldiers, civil police, border police. They told us to walk silently and don’t make any noise. Then we had to sit and wait. Then they put us into small inflatable boats – each 20 persons and two Greek police officers. They brought us to the Turkish side and told us to leave. Then they returned. The whole prison was returned to Turkey! Not all from one place, in groups of hundreds they spread us along the border. There were Palestinians, Pakistani, Afghans, Iranians… all boys and men.