Overcrowding in Greek police detention centres – new amendment to migration law cannot be implemented

Wednesday, July 15th, 2009

Maria Delithanassi of the Greek daily newspaper “Kathimerini” provides latest news on the government’s policy to massively arrest irregular migrants from the streets of Athens and Patras and forward them to detention centres all around Greece. The article notes the overcrowded conditions in police detention centres, the fact that people arrested and transported there cannot be held for more than 10 days because of severe overcrowding (even though the government passed a new law that orders that they may be detained up to 6 or 12 months) and also the fact that police have separated children from their parents, while there are no special provisions for the protection of minors who are arrested.