Trouble is already brewing in the new detention centre in Menoyia, after inmates complained about a lack of mobile phone access to the outside world, which resulted in a standoff yesterday with inmates claiming they were beaten and pepper sprayed by police.
The new centre, currently holding 118 inmates including 16 women, was finally set up this year for the short-term stay of undocumented migrants and failed asylum seekers who are to be deported.
During its inauguration, police chief Michalis Papageorgiou said the centre meets all EU requirements on living standards and would set the standard in Europe and internationally. However, a number of inmates contacted the Cyprus Mail yesterday claiming they had been beaten and pepper sprayed by police after refusing to go into their rooms, holding eight per room.
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