🗓️ 24.10.2022, 7 – 8 pm CEST

An online panel talk with:

• Ella Dodd, legal coordinator of I Have Right’s legal information project on Samos and 
• Philipp Schönberger, former coordinator of the ECtHR litigation Task Force of the Refugee Law Clinic Berlin 

Moderated by Phil Mertsching, member of the Communications and Advocacy Team of I Have Rights.

Since 2016, five Greek islands, Samos, Lesvos, Kos, Chios and Leros have been used as mass containment sites where thousands of people have been confined in inhuman and degrading conditions as they await their answer for their claims for protection. The Refugee Camp on Samos in the capital city Vathy was a former military base, built to hold 650 residents living in temporary container units. At its peak around 9.000 people were living in and around the camp. 

On the 18th of September 2021 the new Closed Controlled Access Center of Samos (CCAC) opened as one of five new EU funded high-surveillance, closed and controlled refugee containment centres on the hotspot islands. Prison-like conditions in the CCAC on Samos and other Greek islands have devastating impacts on asylum seekers. People living in the CCAC on Samos report of anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts as results of detention, isolation and inadequate medical and psychological treatment. 

Having written over 60 interim measures for vulnerable people to the European Court of Human Rights Philipp Schönberger and Ella Dodd will assess the changes on Samos from a human rights perspective and discuss the potentials and limitations of legal means available to fight systematic human rights violations on the EU’s external border. 

ℹ️ You can join the event via this link.

💸As an NGO funded solely by private donations and grants from other non-profit organisations, money is always a scarce resource. While the event is free of charge, your donations would be a great support for us to be able continue our work next year. 

More information about how and where to donate can be found here.