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A woman at an identification center for refugees in Fylakio, a village near the Evros River, nothern Greece | Credit: EPA/Orestis Panagiotou
A woman at an identification center for refugees in Fylakio, a village near the Evros River, nothern Greece | Credit: EPA/Orestis Panagiotou

Female asylum seekers detained with unrelated men in Evros, Greece

Latest update : 2018/06/12
By ANSA Latest update : 2018/06/12

Human Rights Watch has called on the Greek authorities to end the "dangerous detention conditions" of women asylum seekers in Evros who are rouitinely confined with unrelated men, putting them at risk of harassment and sexual violence.

Greek authorities "are routinely confining asylum-seeking women with unrelated men in the northern Evros region near the border to Turkey, putting them at grave risk of sexual violence and harassment," Human Rights Watch has said. "Authorities should immediately stop holding women and girls in closed facilities with unrelated men." 


Living in fear 

Research in Northern Greece in late May 2018 found women and girls housed with unrelated men in asylum seekers reception and detention centers. In a statement, HRW says that 12 women and two girls said they had been locked in cells or enclosures for weeks, and in one case for nearly five months, with men and boys they did not know. Four said they were the sole females confined with dozens of men, in some cases with at least one male partner or relative. 

"Women and girls should not be confined with men who are complete strangers, even for a day," said Hillary Margolis, women's rights researcher at HRW. "These women and girls came to Greece seeking security and protection, and instead they are living in fear." 

Psychological distress 

Five women said they had severe psychological distress as a result of this situation, including two who had suicidal thoughts. Other women and girls said they experienced sleeplessness, anxiety, and other emotional and psychological distress, in part due to fear of confinement with unrelated men.

"The Greek government has not provided authorities in northern Greece with sufficient resources to respond to a surge in arrivals over the land border with Turkey in April," HRW said. "Women and girls in these sites are overcome by fear from being locked up with men who are complete strangers," Margolis said. "Greek authorities need to put an urgent stop to this, and grant them the security, privacy and dignity they deserve."