Rights organizations recently expressed significant concerns regarding the European Commission’s funding for the automatic detention of migrants at the Samos Closed Controlled Access Center (CCAC) in Greece. These groups are urging the Commission to adhere to its legal obligations by ensuring that EU-funded migration centers respect human rights standards, particularly emphasizing the plight of children traveling alone.
The Samos facility has come under scrutiny for its alleged use of arbitrary restriction of freedom orders, which effectively detain migrants in inadequate living conditions. According to Amnesty International, this practice contradicts the requirement under the EU Reception Conditions Directive which mandates individual processing based on specific circumstances.
The directive sets forth that migrants must be provided with access to essential services such as housing, food, and healthcare. Contrary to these obligations, rights groups argue that the conditions at the Samos CCAC are unsanitary and overcrowded, lacking proper sleeping facilities and medical care, which leads to frequent outbreaks of disease. These conditions were highlighted in an Ombudsman’s report from 2022, raising questions about the facility’s ability to uphold human dignity and protect vulnerable individuals.
Funding for Samos CCAC is channeled through the Task Force Migration Management, part of the European Union’s unified approach to migration management. This funding is contingent upon the compliance with human rights and fundamental freedoms, as committed by the EU. Yet, the current operational practices at the center appear to be falling short of these standards.
Established as a migration processing center under the EU Migration Pact, the Samos CCAC has been integral to managing regional migration flows since its designation by the Commission in 2021. Nevertheless, the allegations of rights violations continue to pose significant challenges to the EU’s migration policy framework. Rights organizations are now calling for the European Commission to undertake necessary measures to rectify these issues and align practices at Samos CCAC with EU commitments on human rights. For more details, JURIST has covered the ongoing developments here.