MIGRASYL

News on migration and asylum from around the region - Nouvelles de la région sur les questions de migration et d'asile

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

[Greece] Al Jazeera Blog - UN official deplores Greek migrant detention


[Picture from same article - copyright aljazeera.com, 04/12/2012]

04.12.2012. Greece's growing chain of detention camps for undocumented migrants came under strong criticism from the United Nations on Monday.

Francois Crepeau, Special Rapporteur for the Human Rights of Migrants, said conditions in some of the camps were "shocking" and the detention of children and families "utterly unacceptable".

"It's difficult to see families, it's difficult to see children, three or five years old, behind bars," Crepeau said.

Crepeau said migrants were often detained without proper heat, hygiene or legal representation.

"They are not informed properly about their rights, about what is going to happen to them, about recourses. They don't see lawyers, or the lawyers take the money and run."

Recently Greek police spokesperson told Al Jazeera that the detention policy was partly undertaken for migrants' own good.

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