Athens, Attica

Athens airport holding facility

Greece

Status

In use

2023

Type: Transit centre (Administrative)

Custodial Authority: Ministry of Public Order and Citizen Protection, Ministry of Public Order and Citizen Protection

Management: Police (Governmental)

Detains: Adult women, Asylum seekers (administrative), Asylum seekers-Dublin procedure (administrative), Undocumented migrants (administrative)

Capacity Reported population Conditions complaints?
40
27

1 December 2023

YES

2023

Greece

31,975

Migration Detainees

30,631

Migration Detainee Entries

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ABOUT

The Athens airport holding facility is a transit center located at Athens International Airport that is used for the temporary detention of migrants and asylum seekers. The facility serves as a short-term detention space for individuals awaiting deportation or transfer to other facilities. However, there is limited information about the specific conditions or operations of this holding center.

NEWS & TESTIMONY
2023

Testimony recorded by Border Violence Monitoring Network/Detention Landscapes: “I was very scared and I was knocking on the door and screaming. They didn't even bring me a bottle of water. They completely forgot about [...]

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FACILITY NAMES
Athens airport holding facility
Location

Country: Greece

City & Region: Athens, Attica, Europe

Latitude, Longitude: 37.935657, 23.948349

Contact Information
Attiki Odos
Spata Artemida 190 04
Grèce

MANAGEMENT & BUDGET

Center Status
Status
Year
In use
2023
Last documented use
2017
In use
2001
Facility type
Category
Type
Year
Administrative
Transit centre
2013
Administrative
Immigration detention centre
2001
Management
Management
Type
Year
Police
Governmental
2016

DETAINEES

Demographics

Adult women

2023

Unaccompanied minors

2011

Adult men

2011

Adult women

2011
Categories of detainees

Asylum seekers (administrative)

2023

Undocumented migrants (administrative)

2013

Asylum seekers (administrative)

2013

Asylum seekers-Dublin procedure (administrative)

2013

Undocumented migrants (administrative)

2001
Countries of Origin

Country #1 Iran

2023
At-Risk Populations

Asylum seekers

2023

SIZE & POPULATION

Capacity (specialised migration-related facility)

Type Standard capacity

Capacity 40

2023

Type Standard capacity

Capacity 50

2013
Reported Single-Day Migration Detainee Population at Facility (day)
Number
Date
27
1 December 2023
30
20 October 2016
16
20 October 2016
26
15 April 2013
67
2 December 2012
Number of men detained on single day
Number
Date
26
1 December 2023
Number of women detained on single day
Number
Date
1
1 December 2023

LENGTH OF DETENTION

Detention Timeframe (long, medium, short)

Length Short-term (3 days or less)

2023

Length Long-term (more than 20 days)

2016

OUTCOMES

CONDITIONS

Inadequate conditions
Inadequate Conditions
Obvs. Date
2023
2023
2016
2013
2013
2011
2011

CARCERAL INDICATORS

External Security Regime

Secure

2016

Secure

2001

STAFF

SEGREGATION

Gender Segregation

Yes

2011
Age Segregation

Yes

2011

CELLS

Detainees Per Cell

1

2023

COMMUNAL SPACE & ACTIVITIES

HEALTH

Barriers to care
Barriers to Care
Obvs. Date
Inadequate translation servicesUse of solitary confinement
2023

MONITORING & ACCESS

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

NEWS & TESTIMONY

2023

Testimony recorded by Border Violence Monitoring Network/Detention Landscapes: “I was very scared and I was knocking on the door and screaming. They didn't even bring me a bottle of water. They completely forgot about me.” The respondent was then transferred to a police station located a 30 minutes drive from the airport for three days where her fingerprints were taken, she was searched, and her phone was confiscated.
(See: https://detentionlandscapes.uwazi.io/en/entity/a73yiaqhjc)