MIGRASYL

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

Friday, June 13, 2014

[Greece]: MIDAS - Is the indiscriminate detention of irregular migrants a cost - effective policy tool?

A case study of the Amygdaleza Pre-Removal Center

On 28 April 2012 the pre - removal center of Amygdaleza (‘Amygdaleza’) opened its doors as Greece’s first purpose - built camp for the detention of irregular migrants. Located at the foot of Parnitha mountain in a green landscape of around 30,000m2, surrounded by a wired fence and equipped with 250 containers — the same ones that had been used to accommodate earthquake survivors in the past — Amygdaleza promises to its 2,000 detainees “exemplary” facilities and “living conditions fully consistent with human value”. 1 With daily cleaning services, food catering of high quality, access to an open yard, stand - by counseling and medical staff Amygdaleza sets — at least on paper — uncommonly high standards for a country that has been publicly condemned by the CPT for its detention facilities.