THREAD KOS The situation inside the detention center of #Kos worsens by the day. According to in-prisoned #refugeesgr: around 80 ppl, who were on a hunger strike to protest for movement of freedom (also demanding information + legal aid) were now forced to stop protest. /1

Phones were reportedly taken away or broken by police. People report, not to get any water, if they continue protest. This arbitrary detention + procedural rights violations are ongoing in #Kos, while it remains a blind spot since many yrs. /2

Detained are ppl from all ages + nationalities, accused of "illegal" immigration. In January 2020, the Greek government introduced a new restrictive asylum law + began to increase arrests + detentions of new arriving #refugeesgr. /3

In the month of #March, when Greece suspended its asylum system, new arrivals in #Kos were also placed directly into the pre-removal + detention camps, without information + reportedly no #Covid_19 screening. /4

Since 22 March, not only those in the detention facilities are closed in. But also those in old military camp, due to nationwide #Covid_19 movement restrictions for #refugeesgr in camp facilities (which have been prolonged for the 5th time by now throughout #Greece). /5

While their is no pharmacy or grocery store at site, the island hospital is also out of reach for most. There remains to be a dangerous lack of food, access to legal assistance and health facilities. Ppl reportedly built homes out of bamboo, blankets + plastic bottles. /6

The camp + detention facilities for #refugeesgr in #Kos is therefore mainly a "black box" of information, leaving #refugeesgr in tremendous re-tramatizing + abusive conditions. More background info, including a) https://refugee-rights.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/RRE_TheInvisibleIslands.pdf b) https://ffm-online.org/refugee-incarceration-on-kos-island/. /7