We focus on addressing the illegal systemic detention scheme on the island of Kos as well as on the Greek mainland.
The only pre-removal detention centre on the Eastern Aegean islands is located on Kos. Since January 2020, asylum seekers have been detained upon arrival and held in detention for the duration of their asylum proceedings with very little exception, including single women, survivors of torture and gender-based violence, families, and people with serious medical conditions.
After opening our Kos office in January 2021, we began addressing the unlawful detention practices as a central part of our work on the island. We file objections against detention to the administrative court in Rhodes, interventions directly to the police, and claims to the Greek Ombudsman. We also strategically litigate illegal practices before the European Court of Human Rights.
On the mainland, we focus on the detention centres in the Attika region.
